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DictionaryRoot: fawney
English

fawney

gilt brass ring used by swindlers

1 / 1
A supposedly solid-gold ring is exposed as phony: its gold-colored plating has flaked away to reveal dull gray base metal, contradicting its clearly visible “24K” stamp.
adjective / noun

phony

FOH-nee/ˈfəʊni/

Not genuine or sincere.

Etymology
phonyEnglishgilt brass ring used by swindlers

Phony may be an alteration of fawney, a gilt brass ring used by swindlers. If that connection is correct, a deceptive object supplied the broader idea of something fake or insincere.

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