3 July 2014

spurious

[spyoor-ee-uhs]

adjective

1. not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.
2. Biology . (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure.
3. of illegitimate birth; bastard.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin spurius bastard, perhaps < Etruscan; see -ous

Related forms
spu·ri·ous·ly, adverb
spu·ri·ous·ness, noun
non·spu·ri·ous, adjective
non·spu·ri·ous·ly, adverb
non·spu·ri·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. false, sham, bogus, mock, feigned, phony; meretricious, deceitful.

Antonyms
1. genuine.

Anagram

I pours us

Today’s aphorism

Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts.

– Jim Morrison

On this day

3 July 1883 – Birth of Franz Kafka, Austrian novelist, who wrote in German. Two of his books (‘The Trial’ and ‘The Castle’) were published posthumously against his wishes. He wrote of a dehumanised world in which he explored paranoia, isolation, fear and bewilderment, from which the term ‘Kafka-esque’ has been coined. Died 3 June 1924.

3 July 1969 – death of Brian Jones. English guitarist for the Rolling Stones. He was 27.

3 July 1971 – death of Jim Morrison, lead singer and song writer of the Doors. He was 27.

3 July 1971 – birth of Julian Assange in Townsville, Queensland, former hacker and computer programmer, publisher, journalist and activist. Co-founder of WikiLeaks, a website on which he published classified military and diplomatic documents. The USA has been investigating Assange since 2010 when he published documents leaked by Chelsea Manning. Facing extradition to Sweden in 2012 on charges of sexual assault, Assange sought and obtained asylum by Ecuador. He has been accommodated in the Ecuadorean embassy in London ever since.