The Real McCoy
Encyclopedia
"The real McCoy" is an idiom
and metaphor
used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g., "he's the real McCoy
". It is a corruption of the Scots
"The real MacKay", first recorded in 1856 as: "A drappie o’ the real MacKay," (A drop of the real MacKay), and this is widely accepted as the origin.
How it came to be "McCoy" is unclear – it is believed that the first recording with this spelling occurred in Canada in 1881. In James S. Bond's The Rise and Fall of the "Union club": or, Boy life in Canada, a character utters, "By jingo! yes; so it will be. It's the 'real McCoy,' as Jim Hicks says."
The phrase has been the subject of numerous fanciful folk etymologies ever since.
phrase that first appeared in 1856 as "A drappie o’ [drop of] the real MacKay," by the Scottish National Dictionary
; the same work says that the phrase was later adopted as a slogan to promote G Mackay & Co Ltd's whisky. The Webster's Dictionary
also quotes Robert Louis Stevenson
from 1883 in a letter saying "He's the real Mackay."
In Scotland the phrase is always "the real MacKay" (with the ay pronounced as in the word "eye"). In Ireland
this changed to McCoy. The Irish families with the names MacKay, Mackie, McCoy, McGee and Magee originated in Scotland
and the Isle of Man
, crossing to Ulster
as Gallowglass
es in the 13th century.
of the World Wide Words website enumerates the myths regarding the origin of this phrase:
Kid McCoy had a tragedy-filled life. His suicide note was pointedly signed, "Norman Selby", an apparent last attempt to eschew his professional moniker.
Still other claimed sources include:
Other earlier origins to the phrase are accepted by the writing community and by lexicographers.
Quinion notes that many authorities favor the Kid McCoy story "It looks very much — without being able to say for sure — as though the term was originally the real Mackay, but became converted to the real McCoy in the US, either under the influence of Kid McCoy, or for some other reason." However, Kid McCoy was only nine years old when "the real McCoy" was first published in Canada in 1881.
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
and metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g., "he's the real McCoy
McCoy (surname)
McCoy is a common surname of Irish origin. It is an Anglicisation of its Irish Gaelic form Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh" . It is particularly found in Ulster where many settled around the 13th century, having been Gallowglasses, and also in counties Limerick and Cork...
". It is a corruption of the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
"The real MacKay", first recorded in 1856 as: "A drappie o’ the real MacKay," (A drop of the real MacKay), and this is widely accepted as the origin.
How it came to be "McCoy" is unclear – it is believed that the first recording with this spelling occurred in Canada in 1881. In James S. Bond's The Rise and Fall of the "Union club": or, Boy life in Canada, a character utters, "By jingo! yes; so it will be. It's the 'real McCoy,' as Jim Hicks says."
The phrase has been the subject of numerous fanciful folk etymologies ever since.
The real MacKay
"The real MacKay," is a ScotsScots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
phrase that first appeared in 1856 as "A drappie o’ [drop of] the real MacKay," by the Scottish National Dictionary
Scottish National Dictionary
The Scottish National Dictionary was produced by the Scottish National Dictionary Association from 1931 to 1976 and documents the Modern Scots language. The original editor, William Grant, was the driving force behind the collection of Scots vocabulary...
; the same work says that the phrase was later adopted as a slogan to promote G Mackay & Co Ltd's whisky. The Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary refers to the line of dictionaries first developed by Noah Webster in the early 19th century, and also to numerous unrelated dictionaries that added Webster's name just to share his prestige. The term is a genericized trademark in the U.S.A...
also quotes Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
from 1883 in a letter saying "He's the real Mackay."
In Scotland the phrase is always "the real MacKay" (with the ay pronounced as in the word "eye"). In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
this changed to McCoy. The Irish families with the names MacKay, Mackie, McCoy, McGee and Magee originated in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, crossing to Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
as Gallowglass
Gallowglass
The gallowglass or galloglass – from , gallóglach – were an elite class of mercenary warrior who came from Norse-Gaelic clans in the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland between the mid 13th century and late 16th century...
es in the 13th century.
Myths
Michael QuinionMichael Quinion
Michael Quinion is a British etymologist and writer. He runs the web site World Wide Words, devoted to linguistics. He graduated from Cambridge University, where he studied physical sciences after which he joined BBC radio as a studio manager.-Writer:...
of the World Wide Words website enumerates the myths regarding the origin of this phrase:
- A boxer, Norman Selby, known as Kid McCoyKid McCoyCharles "Kid" McCoy, who was born Norman Selby was an American world champion boxer.-Overview:Born in Moscow, Rush County, Indiana, McCoy would eventually weigh 160 pounds, stand 5' 11", and go on to a record 81 wins...
, American welterweightWelterweightWelterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
champion from 1898–1900. There are apocryphal tales to the effect that he had many imitators and had to adopt the term to distinguish himself. Others say that during one match, he pretended to be dazed and weak after being hit in order to trick his opponent into attacking him. But then he came back and surprised his opponent with an attack, and the announcer said, "Which is the real McCoy?"
Kid McCoy had a tragedy-filled life. His suicide note was pointedly signed, "Norman Selby", an apparent last attempt to eschew his professional moniker.
- The McCoy family of an infamous family feud between the Hatfields and the McCoysHatfield-McCoy feudThe Hatfield–McCoy feud involved two families of the West Virginia–Kentucky back country along the Tug Fork, off the Big Sandy River. The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield while the McCoys of Kentucky under the leadership of Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy....
on the West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
-KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
border in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the late nineteenth century. - A famous American cattle baron by the name of Joseph McCoyJoseph McCoyJoseph "Cowboy" McCoy was a 19th century cattle baron.Born in Sangamon county, Illinois, he is often cited as the inspiration for the phrase "The Real McCoy" because of his reputation and reliability and because he referred to himself by that phrase Joseph "Cowboy" McCoy (December 21, 1837 –...
is said to have promised his investors to bring 200,000 head of cattle from Texas to Chicago in 10 years. In the early 1870's he brought 10 times as many in just 4 years (theory popularized by Alistair CookeAlistair CookeAlfred Alistair Cooke KBE was a British/American journalist, television personality and broadcaster. Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1992...
). - During the U.S. ProhibitionProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
era, it was common for rum-runnerRum-runningRum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
captains to add water to bottles to stretch their profits, or to re-label it as better goods. One American rum-runner captain and boat builder, William S. McCoyWilliam S. McCoyWilliam Frederick McCoy , also known as "Bill" McCoy, was an American sea captain and rum runner smuggler during the Prohibition in the United States. In pursuing the trade of smuggling alcohol from the Bahamas to the Eastern Seaboard, Capt...
, became famous for never watering his booze, and selling only real top-quality products. Because of this, some accounts place McCoy as the source of the term "the Real McCoy."
- A reference to pure heroin imported from MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. - The saying has widely been accredited to Elijah McCoyElijah McCoyElijah J. McCoy was a Canadian-American inventor and engineer, who was notable for his 57 U.S. patents, most to do with lubrication of steam engines. His family returned to the United States in 1847, where he lived for the rest of his life and became a US citizen.- Early life and education:Elijah J...
for his oil cup invention which improved the lubrication system for train engines. The theory is that railroad engineers looking to avoid inferior copies would inquire if a locomotive was fitted with "the real McCoy". The original publication of this claim can be traced to the December 1966 issue of Ebony, in an ad for Old TaylorOld TaylorOld Taylor Bourbon is a bourbon whiskey produced in Frankfort, Kentucky by the Sazerac Company. The brand is sold as a straight bourbon.It is sold in glass in 16 oz pint bottles, glass 750ml bottles, glass 1-liter bottles and plastic 1.75L bottles....
publishes the claim, ending in this tag line: "But the most famous legacy McCoy left his country was his name."
Still other claimed sources include:
- a dispute between two branches of the Scots Clan MackayClan MacKayClan Mackay is an ancient and once powerful Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old kingdom of Moray. They were a powerful force in politics beginning in the 14th century, supporting Robert the Bruce. In the centuries that followed they were...
over who was rightful leader. Lord Reay headed one branch and he came to be known as the Reay Mackay which migrated to 'the real McCoy'. See Chiefs of Clan MackayChiefs of Clan MackayThe Clan Mackay is a highland Scottish clan. The clan chief of Clan Mackay has from early times been designated "of Strathnaver". The chief was also from early times seated at Varrich Castle but later moved to Tongue House in Tongue, Highland. In the 17th century the chief of Clan Mackay was made...
and Lord ReayLord ReayLord Reay, of Reay in the County of Caithness, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Lord Reay is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Mackay, whose lands in Strathnaver and northwest Sutherland were known as the Reay Country. The land was sold to the Earls of Sutherland in the 18th century...
. - Joseph McCoyJoseph McCoyJoseph "Cowboy" McCoy was a 19th century cattle baron.Born in Sangamon county, Illinois, he is often cited as the inspiration for the phrase "The Real McCoy" because of his reputation and reliability and because he referred to himself by that phrase Joseph "Cowboy" McCoy (December 21, 1837 –...
(1837-1915) was mayor of Abilene, KansasAbilene, KansasAbilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
and styled himself 'the real McCoy'. - A Pennsylvanian named McCoy supplied commercial grade nitroglycerine to safecrackers who deemed it superior to homemade product.
Other earlier origins to the phrase are accepted by the writing community and by lexicographers.
Quinion notes that many authorities favor the Kid McCoy story "It looks very much — without being able to say for sure — as though the term was originally the real Mackay, but became converted to the real McCoy in the US, either under the influence of Kid McCoy, or for some other reason." However, Kid McCoy was only nine years old when "the real McCoy" was first published in Canada in 1881.
External links
- The Real McCoy at Snopes.com