Phoney?

[smudge]

If phone is short for telephone - where did the meaning phoney as in false, come from please? (It sounds like it originated from American, but did it)?

[Xollob]

From yourDictionary.com (one of QM's links):

"Alteration of fawney, gilt brass ring used by swindlers, from Irish Gaelic f�inne, ring, from Old Irish"

[smudge]

Thank you very much for that Xollob, just what I was looking for.

(I could have Googled, but knew someone on here would come up with a good explanation). 

[Octavius]

A little more:

The most likely source of "phoney," in the opinion of many authorities, is an English slang word "fawney," from the Irish word "fainne," meaning "ring." English "fawney men" (con artists) perfected a scam (called the "fawney rig") which involved the trickster "finding" a gold ring "of great value" (actually brass) and then agreeing to sell it to his victim out of the goodness of his heart. When the fawney men brought their racket to America, "fawney" became "phoney," a more general and very useful synonym for fake or false. 

It's the Americans again!

[smudge]

Thank you too Octavius - I thought it had an American lingo to it somewhere along the line.

[Kingaroo]

When I was little I asked my Dad what SHAM meant. He said it meant fake or phoney.
"Well then," I replied, "What is SHAMPOO?"