real McCoy

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Corruption of Scots the real MacKay, this latter attested in 1856 as “A drappie o’ the real MacKay” (A drop of the real MacKay).[1][2][3] How “MacKay” became “McCoy” is unclear; first attested in the form “McCoy” in the US in 1908.[4]

The term is the subject of many folk etymologies, discussed at the Wikipedia entry.

Noun

the real McCoy

(idiomatic) The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.
Synonym: real deal

References

Scottish National Dictionary
2007 OED
Susie Dent of the Oxford University Press, on February 8, 2008 broadcast of Countdown.
Georgia Maas (2001-06-06), “real McCoy”, in The Mavens’ Word of the Day‎, archived from the original on 2002-03-14:
It appears that the earliest citation with the spelling "McCoy" referring to whiskey is from 1908. This is from the Dictionary of Americanisms: "I took a good-size snort out of that big bottle [of furniture polish] in the middle....Have you none of the clear McCoy handy around the house? (Davenport, Butte Beneath X-Ray)

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[1] Scottish National Dictionary

[2] 2007 OED

[3] Susie Dent of the Oxford University Press, on February 8, 2008 broadcast of Countdown.

[4] Georgia Maas (2001-06-06), “real McCoy”, in The Mavens’ Word of the Day‎, archived from the original on 2002-03-14:
It appears that the earliest citation with the spelling "McCoy" referring to whiskey is from 1908. This is from the Dictionary of Americanisms: "I took a good-size snort out of that big bottle [of furniture polish] in the middle....Have you none of the clear McCoy handy around the house? (Davenport, Butte Beneath X-Ray)