furphy

UK: /ˈfɜːfi/ US: (fûr′fē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fur•phy  (fûr′fē), n., pl. -phies. [Australian.]

1. British Terms a false report;
   rumor.

• 1910–15; after Furphy carts water and rubbish carts manufactured by the Furphy family of Shepparton, Victoria, and used during World War I; compare parallel semantic development of scuttlebutt

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

furphy / ˈfɜːfɪ/ noun ( -phies)

1. a rumour or fictitious story

Etymology: 20th Century: from Furphy carts (used for water or sewage in World War I), made at a foundry established by the Furphy family

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Furphy / ˈfɜːfɪ/ noun

1. Joseph, pen name Tom Collins. 1843–1912, Australian author. His works include the classic Australian novel Such is Life (1903) and The Buln-Buln and the Brolga (1948)