Today, I learned about the origin of the phrase "the real McCoy." Elijah McCoy, possibly born in Kentucky, came to Canada with his family via the Underground Railroad. His parents valued education and sent him to school, while he had a passion for tinkering with tools. At 16, he pursued his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer by studying in Scotland. Upon returning in 1866, he initially received a disappointing job as an ashcat at the Michigan Central Railroad. However, he didn't let this letdown discourage him. Observing the time-consuming task of manually oiling locomotives, he invented the first automatic oil cup. Although others copied his design, their versions proved inferior. As a result, people specifically requested "the real McCoy," which eventually became synonymous with the genuine article.