We use this when we mean that an article is genuine, not an imitation but the real thing.
Sometimes for greater emphasis we say, “the real Simon pure.” The author of the phrase has long since been forgotten, an English female dramatist at a period when women could make a livelihood by writing, least of all for the stage.
Susannah Centlivre died in 1723; she was twice widowed before she was thirty, when she turned to literature for a living.
One of her most successful plays, A Bold Stroke for a Wife, concerns a Pennsylvania Quaker, Simon Pure, who has a letter of introduction to the guardian of an heiress. His letter is purloined by Colonel Feign-well, who then impersonates the Quaker and marries the heiress.
Later, Simon succeeds in establishing his own identity as “the real Simon Pure.”
Related Posts
-
Can a human breathe pure oxygen or is it toxic?
Yes, but it is not a good idea except under very special circumstances, because too high a concentration of oxygen or oxygen at too high a pressure can be toxic. For example, when…
-
Is the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok Thailand made of pure emerald?
The Emerald Buddha , Wat Phra Keo, is in Bangkok, Thailand, at the Emerald Buddha Temple Wat Phra Rattanasatsadaram. It's carved from one solid piece of green jade. No one knows who made…
-
How Did Sita and Rama Reunite In Hindu Mythology and How Did Sita Prove That Her Virtue Was Pure?
When Sita was freed at last, Rama coldly ignored her because he suspected her virtue was tainted. In despair at the rejection, Sita built a funeral pyre and stepped into the roaring flames.…
-
Where does the phrase “to come to the end of one’s rope” come from and What does it mean?
"Tether" is the older word, but with either "rope" or "tether" the saying goes back many centuries. In original usage the expression "to come to the end of one's rope" alluded apparently to…
-
What does the phrase “come hell or high water” mean and Where does it come from?
The phrase "come hell or high water" means: Let the consequences be whatever they may, however ill. We'd say that this is considerably older than the date 1915, shown for it in A…
-
What Does the Expression “Until the Cows Come Home” Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?
If left to their own devices, cows in pasture will regularly show up at the barn for milking twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The expression "'til…
