phoney
/ˈfoʊni/
adjective
Origin
Irish
fáinne — ring
Overview
Meaning Now
- Not genuine; fraudulent or counterfeit.
- Insincere or pretentious in manner.
Language path
Irish → English
Earliest form
phony
Earliest period
1890s
Journey
The term likely derives from the 'fawney swindle', a confidence trick common in the 18th and 19th centuries where a criminal would drop a brass ring (a 'fawney', from Irish 'fáinne') and pretend to have found it, offering to sell it to a passerby for a fraction of its purported gold value.
Evolution
- Middle Irish
fáinne
“ring, hoop, small circle”
Used in the context of the 'ring-dropping' confidence trick.
- 1890s American English
phony
“a gold-plated ring used in swindling”
Originating from the 'fawney' swindle where a brass ring was sold as gold.
- 20th Century
phoney
“fraudulent or fake generally”
Spelling variation with 'ph' became common.
Connections
Word parts
phoney
root
fake or counterfeit
Related across languages
Irish
fáinne
ring
Explore next
Related to phoney
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.