# "Do you have McDonald's money?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553 "2020-05-10T22:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/21 "2020-05-11T05:36:38Z")
I’m another who has never heard of it. When I saw the thread title, I thought that it was going to be about McDonald’s gift certificates, which I occasionally found in my Christmas stocking. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/22 "2020-05-11T06:09:25Z")
Another nope from a middle-aged white guy. McDonald’s was a rare treat which I _mostly_ associate with outings with my dad after my parents separated. And there definitely wasn’t much spare cash for fast food when I was young. If I went it was usually post fishing-trip or some such thing with my father and it was on his initiative. Brings back happy memories, actually :). But yeah, that phrase never came up. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/23 "2020-05-11T11:00:02Z")
I have old McDonald’s Money: E-I-E-I-O I never heard of it, but when growing up McDonald’s was a half hour drive and we never went there. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/24 "2020-05-11T11:47:50Z")
I never heard it growing up, but that was because I don’t ever recall asking to go out to eat. We only did that a couple times a month. The only time I remember being told we weren’t rich enough to buy something was when I was 3-something and we were visiting Canada and I saw a restaurant across the street where people were walking up the stairs with cups full of fries (CUPS! of FRIES! Can you imagine that!) but was told the story that the restaurant was only for rich people. > [@Spoons](#): > > I’m another who has never heard of it. When I saw the thread title, I thought that it was going to be about McDonald’s gift certificates, which I occasionally found in my Christmas stocking. I did too but also thought that it might be about the use that way but metaphorically, like calling something a “mickey mouse outfit”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/25 "2020-05-11T11:53:42Z")
Never heard it. Growing up in western PA I actually preferred Winky’s, even if there weren’t any in Wilmerding (in joke). ---
**Author:** ![BeagleJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@BeagleJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeagleJesus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/26 "2020-05-11T11:59:43Z")
Middle aged black guy and yes this is most definitely a black thing. Obviously it wasn’t just confined to McDonald’s and extended to any purchase considered unnecessary: Actual quote circa 1989: "Do _you_ have $150 to spend on _shoes_? I don’t care if they have Magic Jordan’s name on them, _my_ shoes don’t cost $150! The crazy surreal part is watching my friends pull this line of thinking out when talking with their kids. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/27 "2020-05-11T12:11:41Z")
> [@BeagleJesus](#): > > Middle aged black guy and yes this is most definitely a black thing. Obviously it wasn’t just confined to McDonald’s and extended to any purchase considered unnecessary: > > Actual quote circa 1989: "Do _you_ have $150 to spend on _shoes_? I don’t care if they have Magic Jordan’s name on them, _my_ shoes don’t cost $150! > > The crazy surreal part is watching my friends pull this line of thinking out when talking with their kids. The new and/or confusing part would be is if were expressed like “do you have Air Jordan money?” Which would still be less confusing than the expression “do you have McDonald’s money?” because money-shaped certificates used for buying shoes weren’t a thing so wouldn’t muddy up the semantics. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/28 "2020-05-11T12:52:08Z")
Another “never heard it” from a 66 year old white guy. As an aside, in my late 20s I roomed with a black gal for about two years. I was 28 or so the first time I heard her say “Micky-D’s.” I had never heard that either and had her explain it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/29 "2020-05-11T12:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **FairyChatMom** : > > And I’m pretty sure if we’d asked if we could go to McD’s with our own money, we’d be told no, because it wouldn’t be very fair to allow one kid to get it, especially if the others were saving for something in particular. If everybody couldn’t, nobody could - that was the rule. In this regard, our families differ. To the extent that we had money of our own, we were allowed to use it for whatever we wanted. Mom would encourage us to use it responsibly, of course, but our money, our decision. For instance, Mom made it clear to me that she wouldn’t buy me a Nintendo, but she had no objection to me buying one myself, which I eventually did, through much toil and saving (though she did get me a couple of games for it at the next Christmas and birthday). If one kid wanted instant gratification and another wanted to save up for something big, well, we’d see who was happier in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/30 "2020-05-11T12:58:05Z")
I don’t remember where I first heard “Mickey D’s” but I think I understood it in context. What did confuse me was when someone called it “MacAdoo’s”. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/31 "2020-05-11T13:34:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I don’t remember where I first heard “Mickey D’s” but I think I understood it in context. I think the first I ever heard the term Mickey D’s was in the Tom Hanks movie, _The 'Burbs_, back in 1989. It entered my neighborhood lexicon after that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/32 "2020-05-11T13:43:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I certainly heard the sentiment growing up (white), but never that particular phrasing. I’m thinking the same. I actually _feel_ like I heard “Do YOU have money for McDonalds?” or something similar but can’t be sure if it happened or is a false memory imprinted by Twitter and Facebook memes. By the way, pulling out a $20 from your birthday stash didn’t actually get you any McDonalds. That said, McDonald’s was a fairly rare treat. Most often seen around Lent when mom didn’t feel like cooking fish. “We’re having McDonald’s tonight!” “Yay!” “But it’s Friday so you all have to get Fillet O’ Fish sandwiches.” “Uhhh… yaaaay?” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/33 "2020-05-11T13:58:05Z")
I didn’t mind Filet O’ Fish as long as they could be arsed to leave off the tartar sauce, which was a semi-big deal in the 80s when special ordering your food was the equivalent of a secret menu. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/34 "2020-05-11T14:35:42Z")
Not only have I never heard of it, this is pretty sad because McDonalds is about the cheapest restaurant you can go to. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/35 "2020-05-11T15:06:47Z")
Middle-aged black woman, I’ve never heard it. But the answer to why we couldn’t go to McDonald’s was that it was unhealthy. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/36 "2020-05-11T15:10:33Z")
Middle-aged black woman, I’ve never heard it. But the answer to why we couldn’t go to McDonald’s was that it was unhealthy. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/37 "2020-05-11T15:46:07Z")
Never. But I don’t remember ever asking for McDonalds – as a kid my go-to was Pancho’s all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet. And I only got that on my birthday. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/38 "2020-05-11T15:46:55Z")
Actually, mom used to try to bribe us kids to go on (long, deadly dull) shopping trips with her by promising us McDonald’s. The older we got, the less we took the bait. Slightly NSFW: Eddie Murphy on McDonald’s. [Mothers burger Vs Mcdonalds -Eddie Murphy Raw (720 HD) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAx553k7W5s) ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/39 "2020-05-11T15:53:20Z")
We got McDonald’s money at Christmas. They are what we call gift certificates now, but were in denominations, like money. They came in a booklet. Grew up white in the 70’s, not sure what I am now. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553/40 "2020-05-11T16:20:36Z")
I’ve never heard of “McDonald’s Money” or “Black Twitter” until now. Although the money part could mean the gift certificates McDonalds used to have years ago. Mind you, I’m also white, 67 and lived in Western Canada all my life so there will be cultural things south of the border I’m not at all familiar with. I grew up in an era where restaurant eating was a rarity unless you were traveling somewhere and there was a greasy spoon along the way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-mcdonalds-money/853553.md?page=3)