furphy
noun
[ ˈfəːfi ]
• a rumour or story, especially one that is untrue or absurd.
• "I remembered the schoolyard furphies about sewer gangs"
Origin:
First World War: from the name painted on water and sanitary carts manufactured by the Furphy family of Shepparton, Victoria; during the war they became popular as a place where soldiers exchanged gossip, often when visiting the latrines.
