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An American boxer named Norman Selby (1873-1940) adopted "Kid McCoy" as his professional name and used the phrase "The Real McCoy" to distinguish himself from another fighter named "McCoy." Although not certain, this appears to be the origin of the phrase, which expanded into American English to mean "the genuine article."

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βˆ™ 15y ago
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βˆ™ 9y ago

The phrase "The Real McCoy" refers to "the real thing" or "the genuine article"

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βˆ™ 16y ago

There are quite a few theories as to the origin of this phrase. You can review them at the Related Link

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Q: Where did the phrase The real McCoy originate?
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Related questions

what was elijah mccoy famous quote?

"The Real McCoy" The most famous quote is not by Elijah McCoy, but rather about him. The coined phrase "The Real McCoy" is derived from Elijah, who was a famous American inventor.


What is a Mccoy?

A McCoy is a person who is a member of a McCoy family. As a surname, McCoy is a variant of McKay, an Irish andScots surname Anglicized from the Gaelic Mac Aodha, meaning "son ofAodha." Aodha is Gaelic for "fire" and was the name of a pagan fire god."The Real McCoy" has nothing to do with families and surnames. It is a slang phrase meaning "the genuine article", "the real thing."a little girl name destinie mccoy she is so pretty she looks like a angel


What is Leonard McCoy's catch phrase?

"I'm a doctor, not a...." is Leonard McCoy's catchphrase.


The History channel recently ran a documentary on prohibition which states that the phrase Real McCoy originally referred to a rumrunner not a heavy weight champion as stated here which is correct?

Probably neither. A railroad lubricating device is the probable inspiration for "the Real McCoy".


How can you find more information about the real Mccoy?

One can find information about the real McCoy from Wikipedia. There is a Real McCoy pizza resturant in Toronto, Ontario. There is also a real McCoy drama show, one can obtain tickets from Ticketmaster.


Why was the real mccoy a criminal?

Do not know about the criminal connection, the real McCoy is the 'genuine article', 'the real thing.


What is the duration of The Real McCoy film?

The duration of The Real McCoy - film - is 1.75 hours.


What does the idiom true mcCoy mean?

real McCoy - the genuine article The saying "Real McCoy" came from a famous inventor named Elijah McCoy when he invented a automatic lubricator for the steam engine in Ypsilanti, Michigan


When was The Real McCoy - film - created?

The Real McCoy - film - was created on 1993-09-10.


When was The Real McCoy - album - created?

The Real McCoy - album - was created on 1967-04-21.


Is Travie McCoy's real name Travie?

no, he changed it. His real name is .... Travis Lazurus McCoy.


What is travis mccoy's real name?

Travis Lazarus McCoy :)