phony

Forms

• phoney (UK)

Etymology

It is perhaps an alteration of slang fawney “a gilt brass ring used by swindlers” (1781),^[2][3][4][5] borrowed from Irish fáinne (“ring”), from Old Irish.^[2][3][4] In the confidence trick called the fawney rig, a brass ring was sold as gold.^[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not genuine, fake (1899–1900).^[5][4][3]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline quotes an 1899 American jewellers' journal on swindlers selling “phony” diamonds.^[5] The noun, “a phony person or thing”, followed in 1902,^[5][4][3] and the verb, “to fake”, about 1942.^[4][3] From fake objects the adjective was extended to insincere or hypocritical people.^[2][3][6] British English usually spells it phoney.^[7][3]

Timeline

• 1781 – fawney, a gilt ring used by swindlers.^[4]
• 1899–1900 – adjective, not genuine.^[5][4][3]
• 1902 – noun, a fake or impostor.^[5][4][3]
• about 1942 – verb, to fake.^[4][3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Not genuine; fake or counterfeit.
2. Untruthful or deceptive.
3. Insincere or hypocritical.

Noun

1. Something not genuine; a fake.
2. An insincere or pretentious person; an impostor.

Verb

1. To fake or falsify, often with up.

Word family

• phonily
• phoniness

Related words

• phoney
• fake

Usage notes

The spelling phoney is also used.^[3][6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press