simon-pure

[ sahy-muh n-pyoo r ]
/ ˈsaɪ mənˈpyʊər /

adjective

real; genuine: a simon-pure accent.

Origin of simon-pure

1710–20; short for the real Simon Pure, alluding to the victim of impersonation in Susanna Centlivre's play A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1718)

British Dictionary definitions for simon pure

simon-pure

adjective

real; genuine; authentic

Word Origin for simon-pure

C19: from the phrase the real Simon Pure, name of a character in the play A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1717) by Susannah Centlivre (1669–1723) who is impersonated by another character in some scenes

Idioms and Phrases with simon pure

simon pure

Absolutely genuine, quite authentic, as in That laboratory test was simon pure; none of the specimens was adulterated. This expression comes from the name of a character in a play, Susannah Centilivre's A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1717), who is the victim of an impersonation but turns up in the end and proves that he is “the real Simon Pure.”