"The real McCoy" is an idiom used throughout much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article" e.g. "he's the real McCoy". Its origins, though generally thought to be nineteenth or early twentieth century, are somewhat obscure. In non English-speaking parts of the world, this idiom is frequently spelled "The real MacCoy". In Scotland the reference is always the real MacKay (with the ay pronounced as i).. In Ireland this changed to McCoy. The Irish MacKays, McCoys and Magees originated in Scotland, crossing to the Ulster Plantations in the 17th century. Origins Michael Quinion of the World Wide Words website summarises the half dozen or so theories on the origin of this phrase: · A boxer, Norman Selby, known as Kid McCoy, American welterweight champion from 1898?1900. There are apocryphal tales to the effect that he had many imitators and had to adopt the t

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