Furphy

Furphy
This Irish name formerly O'Foirbhilhe in the Gaelic, is a nickname and translates as 'the descendant of the perfect one', the clan originating in County Tyrone. With a meaning like that it is perhaps not surprising that the surname is regarded as 'rare'. Up to the 1950's 'Furphies' were found all over Ireland being horse drawn 'water carts' manufactured by Joseph Furphy, these being in effect mobile meeting places, a place of gossip. Apparently in Australia to 'furphy' is to gossip or spread rumour! The variant spellings are Furphy, Fuphey, and Furfey. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Samuel Furphy. which was dated 1816 (Baptised) Tanderagee in Ballymore, Co. Armagh. during the reign of King George III 'Farmer George' 1760-1820. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Furphy — for a rumour, or an erroneous or improbable story. The word is derived from water carts made by a company established by John Furphy: J. Furphy Sons of Shepparton, Victoria. Many Furphy water carts were used to take water to Australian Army… …   Wikipedia

  • Furphy — Joseph Furphy (* 26. September 1843 im Melbourner Vorort Yering; † 13. September 1912) war ein australischer Schriftsteller; er gilt als „Vater des australischen Romans“. Furphy schrieb meistens unter dem Pseudonym Tom Collins und war während des …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • furphy — /ferr fee/, n., pl. furphies. Australian. 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; cf. parallel semantic development of… …   Universalium

  • Furphy — /ˈfɜfi/ (say ferfee) noun Joseph ( Tom Collins ), 1843–1912, Australian writer and poet; author of Such is Life (1903). Joseph Furphy was born at Yering (Yarra Glen), Victoria, and worked as a farmer, bullock driver and, after 1883, in the family …  

  • furphy — [“fa^fi] n. a groundless rumor. □ I heard a furphy about you yesterday. □ Who started that furphy anyway? …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • furphy — n. (pl. ies) Austral. sl. 1 a false report or rumour. 2 an absurd story. Etymology: water and sanitary Furphy carts of the war of 1914 18, made at a foundry set up by the Furphy family …   Useful english dictionary

  • furphy — n Australian a lie, malicious rumour, tall story. The term is said to originate in Irish usage, but has also been derived from a person of the same name, the contractor who supplied garbage disposal wagons for the army camps in Australia during… …   Contemporary slang

  • furphy — [ fə:fi] noun (plural furphies) Austral. informal a far fetched rumour. Origin First World War: from the name painted on water and sanitary carts manufactured by the Furphy family of Shepparton, Victoria …   English new terms dictionary

  • furphy — /ˈfɜfi / (say ferfee) noun (plural furphies) a rumour; a false story. {from John Furphy, manufacturer in Victoria of water carts, some of which, during World War I, were stationed near latrines for hand washing and became centres of gossip} …  

  • FURPHY, Joseph Tom Collins (1843-1912) — novelist was born at Yering Station, the site of Yarra Glen, Victoria, on 26 September 1843. His father, Samuel Furphy, who had come from the north of Ireland with his wife in 1841, was head gardener on the station. There was no school in the… …   Dictionary of Australian Biography

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