.. or maybe not ..
A famous black inventor by the name of Elijah McCoy earned about 50 patents, the most famous one being for a metal or glass cup that fed oil to bearings through a smallbore tube. Machinists and engineers who wanted genuine McCoy lubricators may have originated the term "the real McCoy." Elijah McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1843, the son of slaves who had fled Kentucky and died in Michigan in 1929. The McCoy lubricator was copied by many but the slogan used by the company that had the patent rights was that people should get "the real McCoy"
- The name "White Horse" comes from an ancient inn in Edinburgh's Canongate frequented it is said by Bonnie Prince Charlie's men. A white horse has long been a symbol of victory. John(ny) Walker was originally a licensed grocer in Kilmarnock before he, but principally his son, built up the business and the brand name. [rjsm]
- It is reckoned that at one time there were over 40,000 whisky stills in Scotland.
- The shape of the conventional whisky 'shot' glass, being wide at the top and tapering in towards the bottom was originally designed to disguise the taste of raw grain spirit in inferior whisky by dissipating its smell. Serious appreciation of whisky requires a tulip-shaped 'nosing' glass (illustrated) which retains the 'nose' or aroma of the whisky.