furphy
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furphy¹
- /ˈfɜːfi/ Australia, UK
- /ˈfɜɹfi/ US
Sounds like Furphy · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)fi
Where it comes from
From Furphy (a surname), from the firm of J[ohn] Furphy and Sons. An often-repeated etymology is that during World War I (1914–1918), Australian soldiers in Europe and the Middle East often stood around water carts manufactured by the firm and emblazoned with its name to talk and exchange news and rumours.
Alternatively, it has been suggested that the word derives from news and rumours spread by soldiers operating Furphy carts collecting garbage and human waste in the Broadmeadows Camp in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1914, or shared between soldiers visiting latrines where such Furphy carts would often be seen.
noun furphies · furfie
-
An erroneous or improbable story; also, a rumour.
I know wot I wus born fer now, an' soljerin's me game, / That's no furphy; but I never guessed it once; […]
Similar: scuttlebutt
Furphy²
- /ˈfɜːfiː/ Australia
Sounds like furphy · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)fi
proper noun Furphys
- A surname.
Translations
Every language
noun erroneous or improbable story
| Русский | спле́тня splétnja |
|---|
Talk about this word "furphy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/furphy. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. furphy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/furphy "furphy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/furphy.Cite this
@misc{furphy_2026,
title = {furphy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/furphy},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
