The real McCoy facts for kids

"The real McCoy" is a popular saying, also known as an idiom, that means "the real thing" or "the genuine article." When someone says, "That's the real McCoy," they mean it's not a copy or a fake, but the original and best version. This phrase is used in many English-speaking countries. Over time, many different stories have tried to explain where this saying came from, but some of these stories are not true.

Where Did "The Real McCoy" Come From?

The exact start of the phrase "the real McCoy" is a bit of a mystery! Many people have tried to figure it out, and there are a few interesting ideas.

From "The Real MacKay"

One popular idea is that "the real McCoy" actually came from an older Scottish phrase: "the real MacKay." This phrase was first written down in 1856 in a poem from Glasgow, Scotland. The poem mentioned "a drop of the real MacKay," which meant a genuine drink. Even the famous Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson used "He's the real Mackay" in a letter in 1883. This suggests the phrase was already known and used in Scotland.

The Inventor Elijah McCoy

Another story connects the phrase to an amazing inventor named Elijah McCoy. He was an African American inventor who lived from 1844 to 1929. In 1872, he invented a special cup that automatically dripped oil onto moving parts of machines, like train engines. This invention helped machines run smoothly without needing to stop for oiling.

Because his invention was so good, some people believe that railroad engineers would specifically ask for his original oil-drip cup. They wanted to make sure they weren't getting a cheaper, less effective copy. So, they might have asked if a train had "the real McCoy system." This idea is even mentioned in Elijah McCoy's biography at the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The first time this claim appeared in print was in an advertisement for whiskey in Ebony in 1966.

Radio Host George Braidwood McCoy

In a 1996 movie, a famous artist named Al Hirschfeld said the phrase came from his friend, a radio host from the 1930s named George Braidwood McCoy. This George McCoy was known for being able to live without paying for food or rent. For example, during the 1939 World's Fair, he ate free food from exhibits and slept for free at a hotel. He even made money by selling his story to Life Magazine. During World War II, he hosted a radio show in Rome, Italy. He would sign off by saying, "This is Sergeant George (The Real) McCoy folding his microphone and silently stealing away."

Other Ideas for the Phrase's Origin

There are a few other ideas about where "the real McCoy" might have come from:

• A disagreement between two parts of a Scottish family, Clan Mackay, about who was the true leader. One leader was called the "Reay Mackay," which some think became "the real McCoy."
• Joseph McCoy (1837–1915), who was the mayor of Abilene, Kansas, and supposedly called himself "the real McCoy."
• The famous Hatfield–McCoy feud, a long-running dispute between two families in the United States.

Boxer Kid McCoy

In the United States, the phrase also became linked to a famous boxer named Kid McCoy. He was a very skilled fighter. Some experts think that while the phrase might have started as "the real MacKay," it changed to "the real McCoy" in America, possibly because of Kid McCoy's fame, or for other reasons.

"The Real McCoy" in Music

The phrase has also inspired many artists in the world of music:

• In 1967, jazz pianist McCoy Tyner released his album titled The Real McCoy.
• In 1976, reggae and disco artist Van McCoy released an album also called The Real McCoy.
• Real McCoy is a dance music group famous for their 1993 song "Another Night".

"The Real McCoy" in Movies and TV

The phrase has even shown up in popular media, like in the classic science fiction show Star Trek: The Original Series. In one episode, a shape-shifting alien could look like Dr. McCoy. A writer named James Blish later wrote a story based on this episode and called it "The Unreal McCoy," playing on the original phrase.