Where did the expression “the real McCoy” come from?
Unfortunately, this is one of those puzzling questions without a definitive answer. A number of different theories attempt to explain the origin of the phrase. Two of the most popular theories revolve around alcohol. One suggests that the original saying was “the real MacKay,” an advertising slogan that appeared in 1856 for a Scottish whiskey. Eventually, this saying supposedly evolved to “the real McCoy” in the United States. The second alcohol-related theory poses that Bill McCoy was a bootlegger in the U.S. during Prohibition. Hence real booze became known as “the real McCoy.” Others claim the saying refers to Elijah McCoy, an engineer born in 1844. He invented the self-regulating lubricator, wh
