Word
murphy
Phoneticsmur·phy
US/ˈmɝfi/
UK/mˈɜːfi/
Definitions
01a potato
n. an informal word for a potato, especially an Irish or white potato.
n. a colloquial term for a potato, specifically an Irish or white variety.
“He served a big bowl of mashed murphies with the Sunday roast.”
“The traditional stew was thickened with several large murphies, providing a hearty base for the winter meal.”
Informal · British English
Usage
Usually used in the plural form 'murphies'.
Teaching tip
This is a very informal term; 'spud' is more common in modern speech, while 'murphy' often sounds slightly old-fashioned or specifically Irish.
02a trick or scam
n. a type of dishonest trick used to steal money from someone.
n. a confidence trick or swindle, often involving a fake exchange or promise.
“The tourist realized too late that he had been caught in a murphy.”
“The street performer was actually running a sophisticated murphy, distracting the crowd while his partner moved through the audience.”
Slang · American English
Usage
Often appears in the phrase 'Murphy game'.
Teaching tip
This is a niche slang term mostly found in older crime fiction or specific regional dialects.
03to swindle
v. to trick or cheat someone out of their money.
v. to defraud or swindle a victim using a confidence game.
“They tried to murphy the newcomers at the train station.”
“The gang specialized in murphying unsuspecting travelers by promising cheap luxury goods that never existed.”
Slang · American English
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Etymology
From Irish Ó Murchadha (“descendant of Murrough”), Mac Murchaidh (“Son of Murrough”), etc. See Muircath.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/murphy