"The real McCoy" is an
idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a Literal and figurative language, figurative or non-literal meaning (linguistic), meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic speech, formulaic ...
and
metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
used in much of the
English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g. "he's the real
McCoy". The phrase has been the subject of numerous
false etymologies
A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or po ...
.
History
The phrase "The real McCoy" may be 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"). This appeared in a poem, "Deil's Hallowe'en", published in Glasgow and is widely accepted as the phrase's origin.
A letter written by the Scottish author
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
in 1883 contains the phrase, "He's the real Mackay".
In 1935, New Zealand mystery writer
Ngaio Marsh
Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh ( ; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand mystery writer, writer.
As a crime writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Marsh is known as one of the Detective fiction#Golden Age detective novel ...
presented a character in ''Enter a Murderer'' who muses whether gun cartridges used in a play were "the real Mackay."
In 1881, the expression was used in James S. Bond's ''The Rise and Fall of the 'Union Club'; Or, Boy Life in Canada''. A character says, "By jingo! yes; so it will be. It's the 'real McCoy,' as Jim Hicks says. Nobody but a devil can find us there."
The expression has also been associated with
Elijah McCoy
Elijah J. McCoy (May 2, 1844 – October 10, 1929) was a Canadian-American engineer of African Americans, African-American descent who invented lubrication systems for steam engines. Born free on the Ontario shore of Lake Erie to parents ...
's oil-drip cup invention, patented in 1872.
, 19 February 2011. Snopes.com
''Snopes'' (), formerly known as the ''Urban Legends Reference Pages'', is a fact-checking website. It has been described as a "well-regarded reference for sorting out myths and rumors" on the Internet. The site has also been seen as a source ...
. Retrieved 9 June 2013. One theory is that railroad engineers looking to avoid inferior copies would request it by name, inquiring if a locomotive was fitted with "the real McCoy system".
This possible origin is mentioned in Elijah McCoy's biography at the
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a US patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operate ...
.
[, 2002. National Inventors Hall of Fame. Retrieved 9 June 2013] The original appearance of this claim in print can be traced to an advertisement which appeared in the December 1966 issue of ''
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...
''. The ad, for
Old Taylor Bourbon whiskey, ends with the tag line: "...but the most famous legacy McCoy left his country was his name."
In January of 1920, during the U.S. prohibition of alcohol, famous rum-runner
William McCoy became the first to fill a boat with alcohol in the Caribbean, sail it up to New York City, and legally act as a floating liquor store three miles off shore. McCoy was careful to always stay outside the three mile limit, which was international waters in the early days of U.S. Prohibition. McCoy made a name for himself because he never adulterated the alcohol. While copy-cat rum runners would dilute their alcohol with chemicals like turpentine, wood alcohol and prune juice, McCoy never did. The sullied products were nicknamed "Booze," "Hooch" and "Rot Gut," while McCoy’s quality spirits became known as "The Real McCoy."
In the 1996 documentary ''
The Line King'',
caricaturist
A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures.
List of caricaturists
* Abed Abdi (born 1942)
* Abril Lamarque (1904–1999)
* Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003)
* Alex Gard (1900–1948)
* Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977)
* Alfre ...
Al Hirschfeld
Albert Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars.
Early life and career
Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903 in a two-story duplex apa ...
attributed the phrase to his friend, 1930s pioneer radio host George Braidwood McCoy, who proved he could live off the land without paying for food or rent. During the
1939 World's Fair he ate free food from the exhibitions, slept complimentary at the
Royal Scot, shaved using the new electric shavers at the display exhibits, and earned spending money by selling his story to ''
Life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
''. During the Second World War, McCoy could be heard broadcasting his radio show in 1944
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, where he would sign off saying: "This is Sergeant George (The Real) McCoy folding his microphone and silently stealing away."
[
Alternative attributions include:
*A dispute between two branches of the Scots /ref>
Alternative attributions include:
*A dispute between two branches of the Scots Clan Mackay over who was rightful leader. Lord Reay">Clan Mackay">/ref>
Alternative attributions include:
*A dispute between two branches of the Scots Clan Mackay 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 Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver for information about the dispute.
*Joseph McCoy (1837–1915) was mayor of Abilene, Kansas and styled himself 'the real McCoy'.
*The Hatfield–McCoy feud
Kid McCoy
In the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, the phrase became associated with boxer Kid McCoy. One writer suggested that "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 U.S., either under the influence of Kid McCoy, or for some other reason."
In popular music
In 1938, the composer and song writer Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...
used the phrase “Or is what I feel the real McCoy?” in his popular song " At Long Last Love" for his musical '' You Never Know''.
Pianist McCoy Tyner
Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...
's famed Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...
release in 1967 was eponymously entitled '' The Real McCoy''.
In 1976, the reggae and disco artist Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit " The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his c ...
also released an eponymous album called ''The Real McCoy''.
In 1981, ABC's song " Tears Are Not Enough" cites: "And I'm looking for the real McCoy".
The 1968 song " Wonderboy" by The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
includes the line "It's the Real McCoy", and their 1977 song, "Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...
" also features the phrase in the lyrics.
The Real McCoy is a Eurodance group best known for their 1993 single " Another Night".
In 1987, Country singer George Jones recorded a song called "The Real McCoy"
on his album "Too Wild Too Long".
In 1988, "The Real McCoy" is a song from the Scottish rock band The Silencers.
The Swedish band Troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
used the phrase in their song "Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean (brand), Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV comm ...
" (1989) about James ‘Jimmy’ Dean (1931–1955).
Connie Converse used the phrase in her song "Playboy of the Western World".
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...
has used the phrase in his songs " My Name is Rock", and in "Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
".
In the Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana
''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cy ...
, in the song "Gonna Get This", the phrase is used with Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
singing the line, “The honest truth, the Real McCoy”.
In the title track of their 1986 album ''Music That You Can Dance To
''Music That You Can Dance To'' is the fourteenth studio album by American Pop music, pop band Sparks (band), Sparks, released in September 1986 by MCA Records in the US and Consolidated Allied Records in the UK, two years after their previous ...
'', the American pop band Sparks sang “Get yourself in tune for the real McCoy”.
The phrase “Sit back and enjoy / The real McCoy” was used in the Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
track "Monitor" off their 1981 album '' Juju''.
In Project Pat's - ''If You Ain't from My Hood(feat. DJ Paul & Juicy J)'' the phrase "''You f***ing around with Real McCoys.''".
In popular media
In '' Star Trek: The Original Series'', the episode "The Man Trap" by George Clayton Johnson featured a polymorphic alien that at one point looked like Dr. McCoy. James Blish
James Benjamin “Jimmy” Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his ''Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel ''A Case ...
renamed the story "The Unreal McCoy" in Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin Jr., Sidney B. K ...
' ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'', which was the first of a series of anthologies that were short story adaptations of the original Star Trek episodes.
In the Akihabara Explosion event in the English version of the mobile game ''Fate/Grand Order
is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...
'', Katsushika Hokusai, impressed by the sheer number and workmanship of the dolls in the tower, refers to their maker, the King of Figures, as "the real McCoy" in terms of their skill and speed of sculpting.
A 1977 propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
documentary film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
''Da Real Makoy
''Da Real Makoy'' (lit. ''The Real Macoy'') is a 1977 Philippine propaganda documentary film follows the tenth president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr., sets a field trip to Ilocos Norte, Marcos's hometown, with his e ...
'', was the Tagalog translation of the same name but not entirely related with the film, depicted the tenth president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
sets off a field trip to Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...
with his eldest daughter Imee.
See also
* No true Scotsman
* True Scotsman
"True Scotsman" is a humorous term used in Scotland for a man wearing a kilt without undergarments. Though the tradition originated in the military, it has entered Scottish lore as a rite, an expression of light-hearted curiosity about the cust ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Real McCoy, the
English phrases
English-language idioms