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Stupid odd question

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:57 pm
by Cliffjumper
When typing a Mc/Mac name in ALLCAPS does the 'c' bit stay small? MCLAREN or McLAREN? I've never been sure, and they both look wrong.

Ta!

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:47 pm
by Rack 'n Ruin
No idea which is correct, but I think McLAREN looks better.

On a slightly related note, Ipswich Town have recently signed a "Mc" player on loan with an interesting spelling quirk, Aaron Mclean. Not McLean, not McClean, but Mclean. At least in the official write ups I've seen anyway. What's all that about? Never seen a "Mc" spelt like it before...

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:29 pm
by Cliffjumper
I have, but I'm struggling to remember precisely where - a Maclaren in Scottish football a few years ago? Thought it was odd too. Actually I have half a mind the pushchair makers have it like that, though it might just be their typeset or something.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:19 pm
by Warcry
The bank I walked past on the way into work this morning seems to think that "McLEOD" is the right way to do it, for whatever that's worth. Not capitalizing the 'c' just makes it look like you took your finger off of the shift key by accident though, at least to me.

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 4:26 pm
by Cliffjumper
Mmmm. The more I think about it the more they both look weird, but I am left thinking "what's so special about a Mc?". But then that got me trying to work out whether "de" or "de la" from Italian/Spanish names would be the same or not and now I'm even more confused. :(

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:15 am
by angloconvoy
de la SOUL?

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:04 am
by inflatable dalek
The opening of Sapphire and Steel credits its lead as DAVID McCALLUM. If you want to trust a font that shakey.

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:04 pm
by Sixswitch
I'd say it'd be MC. I think the reason the 'c' isn't capitalised normally is to show that they were originally two separate words. At the risk of sounding patronising:

Mc is 'son' in old Gaelic, so I'd imagine that originally it'd have been written separately, much like the Ap prefix still is in Welsh (Ap Dafydd, rather than ApDafydd).

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:02 am
by Summerhayes
I don't think there is a right way is there?
The English language isn't written in all caps, so I guess you just go with what looks right.I'd say not to leave a small c, but only because it looks a bit twattish like something from the wiki or people who write PoKéMoN like that.