Literary notes about PHONY (AI summary)
In literature, "phony" is a versatile adjective used to denote falseness or the artifice behind something that appears genuine. Writers apply it to objects, behaviors, and even entire systems of authority—ranging from dismissing dubious claims or contrived emotions, as when a character abandons a phony scowl [1] or makes insincere boasts [2], to critiquing broader constructs like sham deals or bogus charges that conceal corruption [3, 4]. The term thus invites readers to look beyond surface appearances and question the integrity of what is presented, whether in everyday interactions or larger societal schemes [5, 6].
- I threw away my phony scowl and gave him a smile.
— from Nor Iron Bars a Cage.... by Randall Garrett - "He's an old crank, trying to build up his ego with these phony claims."
— from The Prophetic Camera by John McGreevey - We're of the opinion that your agents are known to the Soviet government and have been handed a set of phony plans."
— from The Foreign Hand Tie by Randall Garrett - Now, this lawyer party must get away to-night or these grafters will hitch the horses to him on some phony charge so he can't get to the upper court.
— from The Spoilers by Rex Beach - And that, of course, means that only the deliberately phony has real status!
— from Frigid Fracas by Mack Reynolds - "It isn't phony, and it's sure as hell a mystery," Dorsey said.
— from World in a Bottle by Allen Kim Lang
