The real McCoy means the genuine thing or person, not a copy or a fake. The museum confirmed the letter was the real McCoy: it was authentic. People also use it for something of excellent quality: this coffee is the real McCoy. It sounds casual and a bit old-fashioned; in an essay, write genuine or authentic.
When would you say the real McCoy?
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be the real McCoy; see / get the real McCoy
- The museum confirmed that the letter was the real McCoy, not a modern copy.
- After years of hearing recordings, we finally saw the real McCoy perform on stage.
- That wooden mask is the real McCoy; the maker signed it inside.
What changed
First versionThe dealer says this is a real McCoy, not a replica.
RevisionThe dealer says this is the real McCoy, not a replica.
Real with a feels natural, as in a real diamond or a real problem. But the real McCoy is the one and only original, so it takes the: this is the real McCoy. A was replaced with the.
Real just means not imaginary: a real problem. The real McCoy is the original as opposed to a copy or fake. The genuine article means the same but sounds more neutral: The painting turned out to be the genuine article.
Your turn
Use the established idiom for the genuine original: This is ___ real McCoy.
Show the answer
the — There's only one original, so it's the real McCoy. The idiom isn't used with a.
Write about something that turned out to be genuine even though you had doubts, and how you found out.
The violin was the real McCoy; its serial number matched the maker's records.
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