Where does the term "Real McCoy" come from?

Answer 1

McCoy is thought to be derived from "Mackay", referring to Messrs. Mackay, Edinburgh, who made a brand of fine whisky from 1856 onwards and which that they promoted as 'the real MacKay' from 1870.

This could have been derived from the branch of the MacKay family from Reay, Scotland, i.e. 'the Reay Mackay'.
Given that there's no hard evidence the favourite has the be the earliest reference. That's a close call, as many of the sources date back to the second half of the 19th century. The earliest printed citation is from 1856, in Deil's Hallowe'en:

"A drappie o' the real McKay."

This clearly refers to the McKay (or Mackay) whisky.

The 'Real McCoy' comes later, and appears to be of US origin. Whether this translated from MacKay to McCoy as it travelled from Scotland to the US, as Elijah McCoy did himself, or whether it originated there independently, we can't be sure.

~~After Kid McCoy (Norman Selby,1873-1940), American welterweight boxing champion.

The story goes, and there are various versions of it, that a drunk challenged Selby to prove that he was McCoy and not one of the many lesser boxers trading under the same name. After being knocked to the floor the drunk rose to admit that 'Yes, that's the real McCoy'.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/real%20mccoy.html

So the whickey explanation pre-dates Elijah McCoy's invention, by almost 20 years....

Elijah McCoy, the Canadian inventor educated in Scotland, made a successful machine for lubricating engines which spawned many copies, all inferior to the original. He patented the design in 1872.

Answer 2

The term comes from an African American Elijah McCoy who was also an inventor. He invented a drip cup for trains, it was some type of safety mechanism, and no other invention compared to his, his was the only one used at that time and it is still used on trains today, hence the term "The Real McCoy"

Answer 3

I believe it came from the term Real McCoy.

Answer 4

I've always heard that the term originated in reference to Elijah McCoy -

Elijah McCoy (1844-1929), Black Canadian inventor of a lubrication system for steam engines. Supposedly, after failed attempts by competitors to make counterfeits of his lubricant, the phrase "real McCoy" was used to refer to his authentic product.

Answer 5

"The real McCoy" is an idiom used throughout much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article" e.g. "he's the real McCoy". Its origins, though generally thought to be nineteenth or early twentieth century, are somewhat obscure.

Answer 6

"The real McCoy" is an idiom used throughout much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article" e.g. "he's the real McCoy". Its origins, though generally thought to be nineteenth or early twentieth century, are somewhat obscure.

In non English-speaking parts of the world, this idiom is frequently spelled "The real MacCoy".

Answer 7

As a mother, I know why people are sensitive to this issue. Because, while giving birth certainly makes you a mother, it does not make you a Parent. Parenting consists of 24hr around the clock care and responsibility. It is utterly exhausting in every way. Yes in the middle of the fevers, and visits to emergency rooms, tantrums, and teen rebellion there is joy.... but a lot of hard work goes into it. While being a bio mom is a honorable thing which comes with its own set of struggles, ones that should not be ever discredited...it is not the same thing as parenting. It just isn't. I will get many thumbs down for this as this is not the politically correct thing to say. But I'll say it again, giving birth is simply not the same thing as parenting. I think that this distinction is often lost in many responses. I think that is why you are feeling frustrated. My Parents are those who raised me and put in the work. My bio-parents are the ones who created me and gave birth to me and I honor them for their sacrifices.

Answer 8

I believe that it is a pottery reference, there was a maker of pottery which put the word McCoy on the bottom of their pitchers/platters/etc.

Answer 9

From a song by The Kinks called Wonderboy

Answer 10

Here is a website which explains what most writers attribute as the origin of this saying:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mcc1.htm