real McCoy

noun

The genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

Similar
real dealreal thingreal stuff
OriginScots the real MacKay →
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Meanings

nounthe real McCoy

alternative real McKoy · alternative real Macoy

  1. datedidiomaticThe genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

    Synonyms: real deal

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe genuine thing, neither a substitute nor an imitation.

Similar
real deal

More synonyms by meaning

nouninformal usage attributing authenticity

Similar
real thingreal stuff
Broader
authenticitygenuinenesslegitimacy
Also see
genuine articlelegitlive onemccoyreal dealreal thing

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Scotsthe real MacKay
  2. Englishreal McCoy

Corruption of Scots the real MacKay, this latter attested in 1856 as “A drappie o’ the real MacKay” (A drop of the real MacKay). How “MacKay” became “McCoy” is unclear; first attested in the form “McCoy” in the US in 1908. The term is the subject of many folk etymologies, discussed at the Wikipedia entry.

More words from Scots

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish autentyk
  • autentykTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

real McCoy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20McCoy

MLA

“real McCoy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20McCoy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “real McCoy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/real%20McCoy.

Source: real McCoy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.