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English Idiom: The real McCoy
The real McCoy is an idiom that means something is either authentic or the best example of something.
For example, it is easy to go out and buy knock-off brand name goods such as fake Gucci or Prada shoes.
However, they will never be the real McCoy.
For another example, think about imitation crab sticks.
I’ll admit they taste fantastic, but if I go to a classy restaurant, I’d prefer to have the real McCoy instead of a dish made with kanikama.
Unfortunately, I could not discover the origin of this idiom.
I can confidently tell you that it has nothing to do with the United States or the story of the Hatfields and McCoys feud.
It most likely originated from Scotland and was originally used as ‘the real McKay.’
McKay was a brand of whiskey.
Now, whiskey lovers know that you must have the real thing.
So, if you were going to drink whiskey in Scotland back in the mid-1800s, it had to be the real McKay.
That expression, the real McKay, seems to have made its way to Canada.
Many Scots moved to Canada to make a new life for themselves, and they probably brought the expression with them.
As often happens with language, though, it changed over time and eventually became the real McCoy, which English speakers worldwide still use today.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 65.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.
