McJob

Posted by Smokey Stover on November 12, 2003

In Reply to: McJob posted by ESC on November 11, 2003

: Dictionary Editors to Keep 'McJob'
: November 11, 2003.

: By TRUDY TYNAN, Associated Press Writer

: SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - McDonald's may not be "lovin' it," but the editors of the Merriam-Webster dictionary say "McJob" is a word that's here to stay.

: The 11th edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, published in June, defines a "McJob" as "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement."

: The fast-food giant's chief executive, Jim Cantalupo, called the definition a "slap in the face" to the 12 million people who work in the restaurant industry, and demanded that Merriam-Webster dish up something more flattering. . .

: I may just be stating the obvious, but Word Camel seemed in some doubt. For a time (and perhaps still) McDonald's liked to introduce new menu options with names prefixed with "Mc" from McDonald's. The somewhat pretentious-sounding results--chicken mcnuggets, eggs mcmuffins and the like--have been widely derided. So a McJob is a McDonald's version of a job, not much to brag about. Similarly mcmansion, an imposing facade on just another biggish house. Using "Mc" as a factotum prefix on something you wish to satirize by reference to McDonald's is a game anyone can play.