October 3, 2016 - Most of you older readers will remember an early television program starring Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna which was quite popular. It aired from 1957 to 1963 and was about a dirt-poor family on a California farm. They were the McCoy family, with grandpa, Walter Brennan, the leader of the family.
In addition to this old, popular TV series, there is a saying that goes back to the very early days in which people identify something or some one as “the real McCoy. Perhaps you have wondered where this saying originated and why the name, “McCoy” is used. I have wondered about this and did some research.
Actually, the real meaning is unclear, which has opened the gates to a wide range of suggestions. The most popular ones include the following:
Elijah McCoy, who invented a machine to lubricate the moving parts of a railway locomotive. Imitations arose which prompted purchasers to argue that they wanted “the real McCoy” oil.
The famous Hatfield-McCoy family feud that enlivened the West Virginia-Kentucky border in the 1880s, where the “real McCoys” were searched out.
A prohibition-era rum-runner named Bill McCoy who never watered down his brew as was common to other runners. Thus, drinkers always stated that they wanted “the real McCoy” stuff.
The American boxer, Norman Selby, known as Kid McCoy, who was welterweight champion from 1898 to 1900. It is reported that Selby was well known for throwing fights, depending upon the money situation. When he won, it was stated that he was the real McCoy. It is reported that a drunk once challenged Selby one night in a bar claiming that he was not the real McCoy, but a sham. After Selby had floored the scoffer several times, the man finally admitted that he was indeed “the real McCoy”.
None of these explanations seem to really fit the evidence of whom or what the real McCoy was. There is plenty of evidence, however, to suggest that the original McCoy was actually the word MacKay. Part of this evidence is from 1856 which is recorded in the Scottish National Dictionary which reads, a drappie (drop) o’ the real MacKay. The same source states that in 1870 the slogan was adopted by M. G. MacKay and Company, whiskey distillers of Edinburgh. All the early examples mention strong drink, and they are all spelled McKay or Mackay. A letter written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883 states, “He’s the real Mackay”.
Once it became popular, the phrase was quickly adopted to promote one of Scotland’s exports – whiskey. The MacKay Company quickly used the slogan “the real McKay” to advertise their whiskey brand in 1870.
In the United States, the phrase became converted to “the real McCoy” for some reason, perhaps under the influence of Kid McCoy the boxer, or Elijah McCoy who invented the lubricating oil for locomotives, or maybe the notorious rum runner, Bill McCoy. No one really can say for certain why the phrase was changed. Interestingly enough, the phrase does not appear in print in the United Stated before 1898 in either spelling.
So, this phrase is pretty much one where you can pick the origin that suits you best, and you could be right. One more clue to consider is that the boxer, Kid McCoy, was only nine years old when “the real McCoy” first appeared in print.
