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Kirk calls doctor mccoy “bones” in star trek - but why.

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Every Time Star Trek's Dr. McCoy Said “I’m A Doctor, Not A…”

Star trek 2009 cast & character guide, star trek just rewrote the romulan supernova (officially making it completely their own fault).

Captain Kirk affectionately calls Doctor McCoy "Bones" to highlight their close friendship and rapport.
The nickname "Bones" originally derived from the history of medicine and the term "sawbones", highlighting McCoy's profession.
J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie changed the origin of the "Bones" nickname to a less meaningful reason related to McCoy's divorce.

No matter which Star Trek universe they're in, Captain Kirk always refers to Doctor McCoy by the affectionate nickname "Bones", but where does the nickname come from? Memorably played by DeForest Kelley in Star Trek: The Original Series , Doctor McCoy's acerbic wit was the perfect counterpoint to both William Shatner's charismatic Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's deadpan Spock. So iconic were this trio and the rest of the Star Trek: TOS cast , that they were recast as part of J.J. Abrams' major Hollywood reboot in 2009. Of this recast ensemble, Karl Urban's Doctor McCoy truly stood out from the crowd.

Kirk and McCoy were close friends, and the affectionate Bones nickname emphasizes their easy rapport with each other. The personal history of Kirk's nickname for Doctor "Bones" McCoy was given an alternate telling in the 2009 Star Trek movie, which depicted Chris Pine's Kirk and Karl Urban's McCoy meeting each other for the first time. The prime Star Trek timeline is yet to depict this historic meeting, but there may be a chance to show Paul Wesley's James T. Kirk dubbing a young Leonard McCoy " Bones " in a future episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

A look at every time the distinguished and much-loved Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy used his famous "I'm a doctor, not a ..." catchphrase in Star Trek.

Why Captain Kirk Calls Dr. McCoy “Bones” In Star Trek

The reason that Captain Kirk calls Doctor McCoy " Bones " in Star Trek: The Original Series can be traced back to Gene Roddenberry's original vision for the show. Star Trek was pitched as " Wagon Train to the stars ", in reference to the popular 1950s TV show set in the Wild West. Wagon Train was set soon after the end of the American Civil War, at a time when physicians, specifically surgeons, were referred to as " sawbones " . This nickname derived from the grisly work that was required of civil war surgeons, who often had to remove wounded and diseased limbs with saws.

Future Spock actor Leonard Nimoy guest starred in four episodes of Wagon Train , playing four different characters.

Civil War sawbones had to work in settings that were a far cry from the sterile environment of the starship Enterprise's sickbay, hence the irony of McCoy's nickname. Kirk's shortening of sawbones Bones is likely a reflection of his interest in military history. However, it's worth pointing out the term had been used to describe surgeons for decades before the Civil War. As Kirk is also a bit of a book nerd, he would know that Charles Dickens is the first author believed to have used the term, in his 1836 novel, The Pickwick Papers .

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Changed Why McCoy Called “Bones”

J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie gave a far less evocative and interesting reason why Chris Pine's Captain Kirk called Karl Urban's Doctor McCoy " Bones ". Where William Shatner's Captain Kirk was revealed to have a reputation as a bookworm at Starfleet Academy, Chris Pine's version was too busy flirting and getting into fights. Perhaps this is why the " Bones " nickname in Star Trek doesn't derive from the history of medicine and instead refers to Doctor McCoy's ugly divorce, as he explains that his ex-wife:

"...took the whole damn planet in the divorce, [...] all I have left are my bones."

This was one of the first things that McCoy says to Kirk when they meet en-route to Starfleet Academy, and the nickname was solidified during their three years of study together. It's a half-decent joke, but it doesn't have the deeper meaning and recognizable history that the Bones nickname had in Star Trek: The Original Series . Thankfully, Karl Urban's performance as Bones in all three of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies were so good that you forget the facile origins of the nickname.

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek relaunched the movie franchise and reintroduced audiences to Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Will Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Explain Why McCoy Is Called “Bones”?

It's hoped that Doctor McCoy may appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , shedding light on his friendship with a young Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Nothing has been officially announced, but fans have their own list of actors to play Bones in Strange New Worlds , and his debut does feel inevitable. Whether SNW will retain the idea that Kirk and McCoy have been friends since the Academy or take a different tack remains to be seen. However, Doctor McCoy's Strange New Worlds debut may officially reveal why Kirk calls his old friend Bones.

The connection between McCoy's profession and the Bones nickname was never explicitly made on-screen, as Star Trek audiences would be well versed in the sawbones archetype from countless cowboy shows and the history of the American Civil War. Decades later, Paul Wesley's Kirk may make this connection between Doctor McCoy and the civil war sawbones more overt, as the 2020s audience may be less aware of the history. If they do explain it, we can only hope that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds retains the evocative reasoning that links the starship Enterprise's chief medical officer with the history of medicine.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Not available

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star trek (2009).

Star Trek (2009)

Karl urban: bones.

Photos (16)
Quotes (18)

Photos

Karl Urban and Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009)

Quotes

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?

Spock : If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : How poetic.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Permission to speak freely, sir?

Spock : I welcome it.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Do you? OK, then. Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Are you making a logical choice, sending Kirk away? Probably. But, the right one? You know, back home we have a saying: "If you're gonna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don't leave your prize stallion in the stable."

Spock : A curious metaphor, doctor, as a stallion must first be broken before it can reach its potential.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : My God, man, you could at least ACT like it was a hard decision.

Spock : I intend to assist in the effort to reestablish communication with Starfleet. However, if crew morale is better served by my roaming the halls weeping, I will gladly defer to your medical expertise. Excuse me.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [as Spock leaves] Green-blooded hobgoblin.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I may throw up on ya.

James T. Kirk : I think these things are pretty safe.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait'll you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.

James T. Kirk : Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go. The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : How the hell did they do that, by the way? And where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?

Spock : The engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer. Such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through space-time.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Damn it man, I am a doctor, not a physicist!

James T. Kirk : [on Spock] Who was that pointy-eared bastard?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I don't know, but I like him.

Lt. Nyota Uhura : [During the Kobayashi Maru test] We are receiving a distress signal from the U.S.S. Kobayashi Maru. The ship has lost power and is stranded. Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them.

James T. Kirk : [clearly enjoying himself] "Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them... CAPTAIN."

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [rolls his eyes] Two Klingon vessels have entered the Neutral Zone and are locking weapons on us.

James T. Kirk : [Smugly] That's okay.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : "That's okay?"

James T. Kirk : Yeah, don't worry about it.

Test Administrator : Did he say "Don't worry about it?"

Test Administrator : Is he not taking the simulation seriously?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Well, congratulations, Jim. We've got no captain and no god-damned first officer to replace him.

Kirk : Yeah, we do.

[Kirk sits himself into the captain's chair]

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : What?

Hikaru Sulu : Pike made him first officer.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : You gotta be kidding me!

Kirk : Thanks for the support.

Lt. Nyota Uhura : I sure hope you know what you're doing...

Lt. Nyota Uhura : [sarcastically] ... CAPTAIN.

Kirk : So do I.

Spock : [on intercom] Dr Puri, report.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : It's McCoy. Dr. Puri was on Deck 6. He's dead.

Spock : Then you have just inherited his responsibility as Chief Medical Officer.

[McCoy looks at a burning medical room full of casualties from the attack]

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Yeah, tell me something I DON'T know!

James T. Kirk : [still suffering from the vaccine] My mouth is itchy. Is that normal?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Well, those symptoms won't last long. I'm going to give you a mild sedative.

James T. Kirk : Oh, I wish I didn't know you.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Don't be such an infant.

[He jabs Kirk with a hypodermic needle]

James T. Kirk : OWW! How long's it supposed to...

[he suddenly collapses on the bed]

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [Shaking his head] Unbelievable.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Wait a minute, kid. How old are you?

Pavel Chekov : Seventeen, sir.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Oh... oh, good, he's seventeen.

Spock : Doctor... Mr. Chekov is correct.

Flight Officer : You need a doctor.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I told you people I don't need a doctor, dammit - I AM a doctor!

Flight Officer : You need to get back to your seat.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I had one. In the bathroom with no windows.

Flight Officer : You need to get back in your seat, NOW.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I suffer from aviophobia - it means fear of dying in something that flies!

Flight Officer : Sir, for your own safety, sit down or else I'll make you sit down!

Kirk : [highly agitated and suffering side effects from McCoy hypospray] Uhura! Uhura!

Lt. Nyota Uhura : Kirk? What are you doing here?

Kirk : The transmission from the Klingon prison planet. What exactly...

Lt. Nyota Uhura : Oh, my God, what's wrong with your hands?

Kirk : [waves off the question with his bloated hands] I-i-it's... Look, who is responsible for the attack...

Lt. Nyota Uhura : What?

Kirk : ...and was the ship walullaa?

Lt. Nyota Uhura : And was the ship... WHAT?

Kirk : [to McCoy] Whass happening to my mouth?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : You got numb-tongue?

Kirk : NUM-TUNG?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I can fix that!

[hurries off to find another hypospray]

Lt. Nyota Uhura : Was the ship what?

Kirk : Womulan!

Lt. Nyota Uhura : What? I...

Kirk : WOMULAN!

Lt. Nyota Uhura : Romulan?

Kirk : Yeah!

Lt. Nyota Uhura : Yes!

Kirk : Yes?

[Bones injects him with another hypospray]

Kirk : ACK! ACK!

[trying to say 'stop it']

Kirk : STAHHMIT!

James T. Kirk : What are you doing?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I'm doing you a favor. I couldn't just leave you there looking all pathetic. Take a seat. I'm gonna give you a vaccine against viral infection from Melvaren mud fleas.

James T. Kirk : OW! What for?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : To give you the symptoms.

James T. Kirk : What are you talking about?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : You're gonna start to lose vision in your left eye.

James T. Kirk : Yeah, I already have.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Oh, and you're gonna get a really bad headache and a flop sweat.

James T. Kirk : You call this a favor?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Yeah. You owe me one.

James T. Kirk : Bones, doesn't it bother you that no one's ever passed the test?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Jim, it's the Kobayashi Maru. NO one passes the test, and no one goes back for seconds, let alone thirds.

James T. Kirk : [leaving] I gotta study.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Study, my ass.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Three more Klingon warbirds decloaking and targeting our ship. I don't suppose this is a problem either.

Simulator Tactical Officer : They're firing, Captain.

James T. Kirk : Alert Medical Bay to prepare to receive ALL crew members from the damaged ship.

Lt. Nyota Uhura : And how do you expect us to rescue them when we're surrounded by Klingons, Captain?

James T. Kirk : [not taking anything or anyone seriously] Alert Medical

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Our ship's being hit. Shields at sixty percent.

James T. Kirk : [nonchalantly] I understand.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [exasperated] Well, should we - I dunno - fire back?

James T. Kirk : [pulls an apple out of nowhere and starts munching] No.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Of COURSE not.

[the entire simulation suddenly shuts down, then starts back up]

Test Administrator : What is this? What's going on?

James T. Kirk : Hm. Arm photons. Prepare to fire on the Klingon warbirds.

Simulator Tactical Officer : Yessir.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Jim, their shields are still up!

James T. Kirk : Are they?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [checks again] No... They're not.

James T. Kirk : Fire on all enemy ships. One photon each should do. Let's not waste ammunition.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Target locked and acquired on all warbirds. Firing.

[the simulation shows the birds being destroyed one by one]

Simulator Tactical Officer : All ships destroyed, Captain.

James T. Kirk : Begin rescue of the stranded crew.

James T. Kirk : [grandstanding his victory] So! We've managed to eliminate all enemy ships, no one on board was injured AND the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew is... underway.

[takes a large bite out of his apple]

Security Officer : [McCoy is half-carrying a loopy Kirk after injecting him with a vaccine. Kirk is scanned] Kirk, James T. He is not cleared for duty aboard the Enterprise.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Medical code states "The treatment and transport of a patient is to be determined at the discretion of his attending physician" - which is me! - so I'm taking Mr. Kirk aboard, or would you like to explain to Captain Pike why the Enterprise warped into a crisis without one of its senior medical officers?

Security Officer : As you were.

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [irritably] As YOU were!

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [to Kirk] Come on!

[He drags Kirk onto the ship]

Kirk : [Bolts out of bed suddenly from being sedated] Lightning storm!

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Ah, Jim, you're awake. How do you feel?

[He looks down, suddenly growing alarmed]

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Good God, man!

Kirk : What? AH!

[He yelps and raises his hands, which are now twice their normal size]

Kirk : What the hell's this?

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : A reaction to the vaccine, dammit! Nurse Chapel, I need 50 cc's of cortizone!