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Hatfield vs. McCoy

Hatfield vs. McCoy: What's the difference?

Hatfield and McCoy refer to the surnames of two opposing families engaged in a famous feud that was mainly operative in the late 1800s, and took place along the West Virginia-Kentucky border. The feud resulted in bloodshed and imprisonment for many family members and attracted considerable media interest, with the phrase “Hatfields and McCoys” becoming a popular expression to refer to feuding parties.

Hatfield

[ hat-feeld ]
noun
  1. a town in central Hertfordshire, in SE England: incorporated into Welwyn Hatfield 1974.

McCoy

[ muh-koi ]
noun
  1. the genuine thing or person as promised, stated, or implied: Those other paintings are copies, but this one is the McCoy.

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