furphy

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: furfie

Meaning · English

An erroneous or improbable story; also, a rumour.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used Australian English

Examples

I know wot I wus born fer now, an' soljerin's me game, / That's no furphy; but I never guessed it once; […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “furphy” mean?

An erroneous or improbable story; also, a rumour.

Is “furphy” formal or informal?

furphy is generally slang.