Strewth! ‘Maccas’ name change in Australia

McDonald’s has changed the name of some of its restaurants to “Maccas,” the nickname used by many Australians for the fast-food chain.

The marketing ploy coincides with the lead up to the national Australia Day holiday on January 26.

According to local media, signage was changed on 13 outlets countrywide earlier this month and will remain in place until February 4.

Australians have been known to boast that “Maccas” is a vastly superior nickname to the juvenile “Micky D’s” favored by Americans.

It also makes the common late-night/early morning post-pub phrase, “Get us some Maccas on the way home, Bruce” far more appropriate.

Out of interest, Canadians go with “Mac-ERS.”

And in Hong Kong, the Cantonese nickname sounds similar to “Mac Kee.”

An interesting McDonald’s “Australianism” was the introduction of the McOz burger in 1999. Marketed then as the “flagship” Australian burger, it featured beef, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, ketchup and mustard.

The McOz was discontinued in 2008, possibly because of too many stubborn beetroot stains on diners.

The fast-food world’s version of Jimmy Barnes, the burger was reintroduced in 2011 for a short time before another axing. And it is back again for another Southern Hemisphere summer tour.

Across the pond, the McOz bears a striking resemblance to the on again and off again Kiwiburger. The main difference is the Kiwiburger includes egg. Obviously.

New Zealanders also coin McDonald’s as “Maccas.”

Not that you needed to know any of that.

Strewth! ‘Maccas’ name change in Australia