Mccoy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Something authentic and genuine rather than a copy or imitation, as in the phrase meaning the real thing
2. An original, authentic article of high quality, often used in the expression for the real thing
3. A person or object proven to be the true, genuine version of what it claims to be, not a fake

Etymology: The phrase "the real McCoy" means the genuine article, as opposed to an imitation, and the surname it uses is one of the most common Scottish and Irish names. Nobody has settled how the surname came to mean "genuine." The most popular story credits Elijah McCoy, a Black inventor of automatic lubricating devices for steam engines, whose patented designs were supposedly so good that buyers demanded "the real McCoy." There is no evidence for this, and the phrase appears in print before his inventions became famous. A more plausible candidate is the boxer Kid McCoy, whose name was widely known around the turn of the twentieth century and who was reportedly known for his real skill. Even this link is uncertain, because the surname was already attached to the phrase before he rose to fame, and the earliest printed examples have not been pinned down.