Answer: What is the meaning & origin of "the real McCoy?"
cedara asked us “What’s the meaning and origin of the real McCoy?” Let’s see if we can provide an answer, with some assistance from the characters of Star Trek.
The meaning of the phrase the real McCoy is clearer than its origins. When someone calls someone or something the real McCoy, they’re saying it’s the real thing, the genuine article, not a fake or substitute.
Now, on to the much hairier part-the origins. Many people consider that the phrase was coined around 1898 in relation to a boxer named Norman Selby, who went by Kid McCoy in the ring. One of the stories behind this involves a drunk who met Selby and questioned his identity so vociferously that Selby had to hit him. When the drunk managed to get up again, he famously said “He’s the real McCoy!”
Another McCoy often named as the source of the saying is Elijah McCoy, who in 1872 invented a device that oiled steam locomotives. The story goes that because it worked so well, the device was often imitated, but those imitations weren’t quite as efficient, so the device McCoy came up with was the real McCoy.
Numerous other McCoys are listed as being considered the origin of the saying, from the infamous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys to the rum-runner Bill McCoy who sold high quality alcohol during Prohibition. Perhaps the alcohol connection is the strongest one, considering that the saying was used in 1856 in regard to alcohol-though at the time, it was a reference to the real MacKay. “Deil’s Hallowe’en,” a poem published in Scotland at that time, mentions “a drappie o’ the real MacKay,” which translates as “a drop of the real MacKay”-or a shot of whisky. One of the things Scotland is justly proud of is its fine whisky, and in the mid-19th century, one of the many distilleries was owned by gentlemen whose surname was MacKay or Mackay. Of course, by 1870, these gentlemen were using “a drappie o’ the real MacKay” to promote their whisky. When it crossed the pond and filtered into usage in the United States and Canada, the pronunciation was eventually corrupted into the phrase we’re familiar with today. We find it in as follows in James S. Bond’s novel The Rise and Fall of the ‘Union Club,’ published in 1881: “By jingo! Yes; so it will be. It’s the ‘real McCoy,’ as Jim Hicks says. Nobody but a devil can find us there.”
Any time your characters want the genuine article, they can definitely use this phrase.
Kirk rubbed his forehead. “I thought we’d fixed that problem with the transporter,” he said, staring at the three Spocks across the briefing table. “Which one of you is the real McCoy?” He winced. “Figuratively speaking, of course.”
The three Spocks raised one eyebrow in perfect unison. “Of course.”
Whether they’re searching for the true masterpiece painting among counterfeits or want the good stuff when it comes to booze, your characters will be looking for the real McCoy. After all-with apologies to Coca-Cola-you just can’t beat the real thing.
Sources:
The meaning of the phrase the real McCoy is clearer than its origins. When someone calls someone or something the real McCoy, they’re saying it’s the real thing, the genuine article, not a fake or substitute.
Now, on to the much hairier part-the origins. Many people consider that the phrase was coined around 1898 in relation to a boxer named Norman Selby, who went by Kid McCoy in the ring. One of the stories behind this involves a drunk who met Selby and questioned his identity so vociferously that Selby had to hit him. When the drunk managed to get up again, he famously said “He’s the real McCoy!”
Another McCoy often named as the source of the saying is Elijah McCoy, who in 1872 invented a device that oiled steam locomotives. The story goes that because it worked so well, the device was often imitated, but those imitations weren’t quite as efficient, so the device McCoy came up with was the real McCoy.
Numerous other McCoys are listed as being considered the origin of the saying, from the infamous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys to the rum-runner Bill McCoy who sold high quality alcohol during Prohibition. Perhaps the alcohol connection is the strongest one, considering that the saying was used in 1856 in regard to alcohol-though at the time, it was a reference to the real MacKay. “Deil’s Hallowe’en,” a poem published in Scotland at that time, mentions “a drappie o’ the real MacKay,” which translates as “a drop of the real MacKay”-or a shot of whisky. One of the things Scotland is justly proud of is its fine whisky, and in the mid-19th century, one of the many distilleries was owned by gentlemen whose surname was MacKay or Mackay. Of course, by 1870, these gentlemen were using “a drappie o’ the real MacKay” to promote their whisky. When it crossed the pond and filtered into usage in the United States and Canada, the pronunciation was eventually corrupted into the phrase we’re familiar with today. We find it in as follows in James S. Bond’s novel The Rise and Fall of the ‘Union Club,’ published in 1881: “By jingo! Yes; so it will be. It’s the ‘real McCoy,’ as Jim Hicks says. Nobody but a devil can find us there.”
Any time your characters want the genuine article, they can definitely use this phrase.
Kirk rubbed his forehead. “I thought we’d fixed that problem with the transporter,” he said, staring at the three Spocks across the briefing table. “Which one of you is the real McCoy?” He winced. “Figuratively speaking, of course.”
The three Spocks raised one eyebrow in perfect unison. “Of course.”
Whether they’re searching for the true masterpiece painting among counterfeits or want the good stuff when it comes to booze, your characters will be looking for the real McCoy. After all-with apologies to Coca-Cola-you just can’t beat the real thing.
Sources: