Content area
Full Text
Like many people, I do not recall the first time I heard the phrase, "Now that's the real McCoy!" or "I want the real McCoy." I have, however, heard these words expressed on countless occasions throughout my life. The "real McCoy" has come to symbolize the superior quality of a particular brand of a commodity versus competitive brands. How did this expression originate? A strong case may be made that the "real McCoy" referred to the lubricating inventions of a mechanical engineer named Elijah McCoy.
Elijah McCoy was born on May 2, 1844 in the small Canadian town of Colchester, Ontario near the banks of Lake Erie. His parents were escaped slaves from Kentucky who crossed into Canada with the aid of the Underground Railroad. Elijah and his siblings were raised as free Canadian citizens. As a Canadian citizen, Elijah had the opportunity to learn to...