The Hindu : International : McDonald's plea to dictionaries

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Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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McDonald's plea to dictionaries

CHICAGO: McDonald's is reviving its campaign to change the dictionary definition of "McJob," this time setting its sights on the vocabulary of Britons. The world's largest fast food company is planning a campaign in the U.K. to get the country's dictionary houses to change current references to the word "McJob."

The Oxford English Dictionary, considered by many wordsmiths as the gold standard for the English language, is one of those that will be targeted.

It defines the noun as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector." The word first cropped up two decades ago in The Washington Post, according to the dictionary.

Executives at the company say the definition is demeaning to its workers.

"Dictionaries are supposed to be paragons of accuracy. And in this case, they got it completely wrong," said a McDonald's spokesman. "It's a complete disservice and incredibly demeaning to a terrific work force and a company that's been a jobs and opportunity machine for 50 years." But the restaurant chain that helped coin the phrase "super size" may have its work cut out.

In 2003, editors at the Merriam-Webster dictionary declined to remove "McJob" after McDonald's balked at its inclusion in the book's 11th edition. Instead, the publisher said the word was accurate and appropriate. — AP

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