Definitions for furphy
fur·phy

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. furphynoun

   a rumour, or an erroneous or improbable story.

2. Etymology: From Furphy.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Furphy

   A furphy is Australian slang for an erroneous or improbable story that is claimed to be factual. Furphies are supposedly heard from reputable sources, sometimes secondhand or thirdhand, and widely believed until discounted. The word is said to derive from water carts designed and made by a company established by John Furphy of J. Furphy & Sons of Shepparton, Victoria. The steel and cast iron tanks were first made in the 1880s and were used on farms and by stock agents. Many Furphy water carts were used to take water to Australian Army personnel during World War I in Australia, Europe and the Middle East.In his book Memories of a Signaller, Harold Hinckfuss wrote of the "furphies" or rumours of pending movements of troops, while awaiting transfer to the French lines from Egypt. "Every day in the tent someone would come up with a 'furphy' that he had heard whilst down at the latrines. That is why the different stories were called furphies ('furphy' was the term used for a fart)."

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Furphy

   A furphy, also commonly spelled furfie, is Australian slang for a rumour, or an erroneous or improbable story. The word is derived from water carts designed and made by a company established by John Furphy: J. Furphy & Sons of Shepparton, Victoria. The steel and cast iron tanks were first made in the 1880s and were used on farms and by stock agents. Many Furphy water carts were used to take water to Australian Army personnel during World War I in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. The carts, with "J. Furphy & Sons" written on their tanks, became popular as gathering places where soldiers could exchange gossip, rumours and fanciful tales—much like today's water cooler discussion. Another suggested explanation is that the rumbling of an approaching water cart sounded like the firing of artillery, thus causing a false alarm. It is also used to refer to a foolish mistake, although the etymology of that is uncertain. It is possible that the word was also influenced by John Furphy's equally prominent brother, the popular 19th-century Australian author, Joseph Furphy. However, Joseph was generally published under the pseudonym "Tom Collins". Scuttlebutt has a similar etymology, a scuttlebutt originally being a cask of drinking water on a ship.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. FURPHY

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Furphy is ranked #79846 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Furphy surname appeared 238 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Furphy.
   
   94.1% or 224 total occurrences were White.
   3.3% or 8 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

How to pronounce furphy?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say furphy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of furphy in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of furphy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Furphy
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furphy
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=furphy
4. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html