The Real McCoy

[Dud]

What is the origin of this expression please

[sft42]

As with a few sayings there is no definitive answer but what follows in a transcript from a book called "The Real McCoy" outlining saying with peoples names:

The Real McCoy who gave his name to the expression was Norman Selby a boxer who was born in Rush Co, Indiana, on the 13th of October 1873 . In 1891, when his boxing career began, he changed his name to Charles Kid McCoy, in the belief that to succeed as a boxer it was better to be Irish, since Irish boxers were very popular at that time in the United States of America. In March 1896, McCoy won the world welterweight championship when he beat Irishman, Tommy Ryan. He continued as a successful boxer, competing next as a middleweight, then as a light heavyweight, and finally as a heavyweight. At the height of his success a middleweight named Alan McCoy, appeared on the scene and from then on McCoy was billed as the real McCoy to distinguish him from lesser fighters. The expression real McCoy had been used before Kid McCoy took it for himself. It originated as real McKay in Scotland where it was applied to first-class whisky. Whisky was exported to America, and with that went the expression to describe it as the genuine article and above all others. The expression then fell into common usage and the American pronunciation changed to being McCoy.

[Quizmonster]

Sft has provided what are probably the two key sources, so I'm not sure why he's been awarded only two stars. If it's "a star-per-source", click http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mcc1.htm for an authoritative website that offers about half a dozen possibilities!

[incitatus]

Additional info on the whiskey thing. When america passed the 18th (19th?) ammendment, outlawing alcohol a vast smuggling and illegal drinking network was set up so people could tipple. Much of this stuff was home made and could blind you, so the smuggled stuff fetched a premium. The nearest place from which to ship alcohol by sea was bermuda, and a sea captein who used the name of mccoy (probably from the souces above) smuggled a lot in on a regular basis. hence the real mccoy applied to drink as the genuine article was revived in the 20's to fit this mans wares.

[Quizmonster]

Obviously, it wasn't "a star-per-source then", S!

[incitatus]

QM- its the hint of 1930's guns and glamour that gets the points

[Quizmonster]

It must be, I. I fully expected at least six little red asterisks! But what the hey!

[sft42]

I can only hope that was a mistook.....I thought I deserved the full house for that one as well.....C'est la vie!....at least it gave me a chance to practise using the voice recognition thingy I have now while reading all that out from the book.

[Dud]

sft42 - your answer was appreciated believe me. QM - Who would have thought a star rating would mean so much to a grown up and for conjecture

[Quizmonster]

My dear fellow, star ratings here on AnswerBank do not mean a thing to me, personally. As we can see right here, they signify nothing in terms of an answer's actual value. I, for example, appear to have got no stars for a link that provided several potential answers to your question and yet achieved one star for a response that added nothing whatever to your knowledge! Need I say more? Other, that is, than that I was really wondering why dear old Sft's excellent answer - not mine - was apparently being damned with such faint praise.