In Star Trek: The Original Series, two prominent characters are referred to by nicknames: Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, played by James Doohan, and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley. The former makes sense, given Scotty’s last name and the fact he’s Scottish (fun fact: Doohan was a Canadian, and Scotty wouldn’t be played by a true Scotsman until Star Trek: Strange New Worlds). The latter, too, makes sense, although it’s a little less obvious (creator Gene Roddenberry shortened “sawbones,” a term for surgical doctors in the 19th Century, to simply “Bones”). “Bones,” however, wasn’t McCoy’s original nickname. No, it wasn’t medically related, so not something cool like “Scopes” or “Scalpel,” or even “D-Fib”. It wasn’t “Leo,” or “Mac,” either, so there was nothing to do with his actual name either. You can rule out “Tank,” “Iceman,” or “The Impaler” too, although the last one would be very, very concerning. No, you would need to look in the fruit aisle for the name which, fittingly, rhymes with dumb: “Plum.”
An Old Flame Remembers McCoy as “Plum” in “The Man Trap”
“Plum” is actually the first nickname attributed to McCoy in the series, as revealed in Star Trek: The Original Series‘ first episode, “The Man Trap.” In the episode, the Enterprise takes a trip to a planet with a research station manned by Federation scientist Professor Robert Crater (Alfred Ryder) and Nancy (Jeanne Bal), his wife, performing routine medical checks and bringing in supplies. It turns out McCoy and Nancy have a romantic past, and when Nancy spots McCoy, she sweetly calls out, “Plum!” — her pet name for the curmudgeonly doctor during their time together.
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McCoy is beset by the fond memories that old nickname brings back. Unfortunately for McCoy, the reveal just so happens to be in front of Captain Kirk (William Shatner), who wastes little time in giving McCoy the gears over it, as well he should — it’s hilarious. Besides, it’s the first time we really get to see Kirk and McCoy’s brotherly connection in play, something that has marked their relationship throughout the franchise’s run. But by the end of the episode, Kirk begins referring to McCoy as the more familiar “Bones,” leaving “Plum” a one-time tag used by an old flame. Or at least by a killer shape-shifting alien who takes on Nancy’s form.
“Plum” Betrays McCoy’s Softer Side in ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’
Regrettably, “Plum” didn’t stick around long enough for us to ever hear, “Dammit, Jim — I’m a doctor, not fruit!” But even the brief time we hear it, it betrays a softer side to the brash and forthright McCoy we know and love. It’s a side that, though he’s loathe to show it, is seen time and again throughout the franchise’s history. McCoy is the yin to Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) yang, an irrepressible humanity in contrast with the cold logic of Vulcans. If McCoy didn’t have that side to him, there would never be conflict with his Vulcan cohort, yet McCoy is an avatar of humanity in those moments, and that passion has often spoken to Spock’s own humanity.
But it’s impossible to even imagine a name more fitting than “Bones,” easily one of sci-fi’s most iconic nicknames. And if you don’t subscribe to the “sawbones” origin of the nickname, the Kelvin timeline that was kicked off by 2009’s Star Trek has an origin for the nickname that seems particularly on brand. In that film, Kirk (Chris Pine) meets McCoy (Karl Urban) on board a ship to Starfleet Academy, and McCoy explains how he got the “Bones” moniker: He split from his wife and his ex got everything in the divorce, leaving him with just his “bones.” Now, whether “Plum” is part of the Kelvin timeline or not is currently unknown, but who knows? Maybe the long-hoped-for Star Trek 4 gives us the answer.
Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
