When did we start referring to McCartney as Macca??

Does anyone know when and how people came to call McCartney 'Macca?' I can't remember how long I've known about this 'nickname' but as a Beatle freak, I'm guessing several years.

I've noticed that a lot of people who are Beatle fans don't even know this. Doesn't John Lennon say something to the effect of, 'Are you ready, Macca?' on one of the Anthology cuts? I think it's the alternate take of 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away.'

So, could this have been a nickname John used for Paul that caught on with the media years ago? Or could 'Macca' be a standard nickname for other people who's last names starts with Mc??? Is Elvis Costello a 'Macca' as well---Declan MacManus (sp?)?

Just curious.

 

Well. I think fans first heard the nickname around the time McCartney released Give My Regards To Broad Street, where it was reported that when his name came up in the script, he wrote "Macca" instead of his full name. As you mentioned, John Lennon calls him "Macca" way back in 1965, so it's probably a nickname from much earlier than that. It's not necessarily meant as a derogatory nickname, I'm a fan and I call him that all the time.

 

Yep that's the way it works in Australia.

 

I always wondered where this started. For some reason, I never liked the nickname. I don't feel as though I know Paul McCartney well enough to use one.

 

IIRC, I didn't start noticing Paul's nickname until the early 90's.

 

I grew up in London, so I can't attest to being an expert on Liverpudlian ("Scouse") slang. But others have mentioned it's derivation from his being a "Mc" or "Mac". The real Scouse pronounciation would be more like "Maccha" (as if you're speaking German - a gutteral "acch").

This should not be confused with another English tendency to take names containing "ar" or "er" and replacing them with "azz" or "ez" nicknames - i.e Mary or Martin becomes Maz or Mazza, Sharon becomes Shazza, and Gerald becomes Jez. The notable exception being footballer Paul Gascoine also known as Gazza.

OK, 'nough ramblin' from me, mate.

Cliff

 

Macca seems to have its originals going back to at least the Star Club days, but more likely it was a thing between John and Paul. Of course, Macca isn't his only nickname. Paulie and Sir Paulie get tossed around a lot, too, and always with affection by his fans.


Veterans of the man's official site and message board have always called it Macca, even back in the early Wingspan days. And since the man himself would occasionallly visit there and even post back then, he's well aware that his boards have always been known as 'the Macca board'.....

 

I'm sure it's earlier than that for fans. I briefly glanced through my worn old copy of the book "An Illustrated Record" from the mid-Seventies, and they call him "Macca" in there...

 

The first time I saw it was on USENET in the late 80s.

But what about the whole thing with Kate Bush = gaffa. rec.music.gaffa?

 

"Suspended in Gaffa" from The Dreaming. Why refer to her that way? I have no idea.

 

I guess I should have said that I know the origin but the logic confounds me.

 

Interesting...as a rule, the fans I've met tend to just refer to her as Kate, KB, or--once in a rare while--Katya, but I don't remember 'gaffa,' though maybe I just didn't notice.

 

Could be an internet-only 'thang'.

 

That's what I always thought it was with "Macca". I'd never seen that 'til I started browsing these forums, and others like this, only a few years back.

Never did hang around the usenet groups, though.