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Vocabulary : Idioms : Quizzes : Mixed 3 : the real McCoy

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the real McCoy

Meaning: You can say something is the real McCoy if it's genuine, and not a fake or a copy.

For example:

  • You only paid $50 for a Gucci handbag? Well it's obviously not the real McCoy then, is it.

  • The duck liver pate was the real McCoy. It tasted so much better than the stuff in tins they call duck liver pate back home.

Origin: There are many theories regarding the origin of this idiom, but as none of them have been proven, and we can't be sure which of them is "the real McCoy", none of them will be repeated here.

Quick Quiz:

I know my new Rolex is the real McCoy because
  1. I bought it from the Rolex store in Paris
  2. I bought it from a guy in a pub
  3. I bought it online from ReallyCheapRolex.com

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