Real McCoy (1901), Boy's Own Paper

[Sam Clements]

Wow!  That is one of the more significant finds about the phrase.  It shows
not only that it was used by 1901 with the McCoy spelling(and in a British
publication!), but it was obviously not about liquor.

Could there not have been two phrases, with the Scotch being the first?  And
then, along comes a boxer in the 1890's, who boxed not only in the US but in
England.  And the Real McCoy could have been coined about the boxer, in
imitation of the Real MacKay?

Sam Clements
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathon Green" <slang at ABECEDARY.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: Real McCoy (1914, 1915, 1916)


So far, my own early cites are these  <snip>

1901 _Boy's Own Paper_ 4 May 484 Giving it a good ring to show it was the
real McCoy

This is undoubtedly the boxer's spelling. And while I don't have the context
to mind, it would seem highly unlikely, given the moral stance of the BOP (a
British publication, very much of the 'muscular Christianity' persuasion),
that 'it' would be alcohol (nor would one give liquor 'a good ring.')..

Jonathon Green