simon-pure

English

Etymology

From the phrase "the real Simon Pure" (the true person or article), from the character Simon Pure (who is impersonated by another, and obliged to prove his identity) in Susanna Centlivre's 1717 play A Bold Stroke for a Wife.

Adjective

simon-pure (not comparable)

1. Absolutely pure; genuine, authentic.
   • 1992, Kim Newman, Anno Dracula, Titan Books, published 2011, page 124:

     ‘Art says the Prince Consort's bloodline is dreadfully polluted, while Ruthven's is simon-pure.’

References

• ON LANGUAGE; Taint So, William Safire, New York Times, 1984.

Anagrams

• neo-purism, unpromise