(adj. Etym.: from surface + factual) A fact that seems credible on the surface, but which upon a more thorough
inspection reveal itself to be either
(a) an
intentional misrepresentation of the truth as it is known, but not an outright lie; often used to present s.thing in a more positive light;
(b) a 'cheap' fact, that is to say,
common sense dressed in jargon;
or
(c) a fact without references.
(a) At the
manufacturing facility, the group of Japanese businessmen were presented with surfactual evidence of the
efficiency at the plant, so as to augment and aid the CEO's persuasive, ceaseless sweet-talking. "We've got them now," he though to himself, and could hardly mask his glee.
(b) The client slapped the papers hard down
on the table, all the while transfixing them with that terrible gaze. "No f***ing way I'm paying for this report! It's a poor derivative of a Wikipedia article - I've had it checked, you know! This, peppered with surfactual tidbits even a breastfeeding child knows to be mere fancy!"
(c) It's a well-known fact that Toxiplasma Gondii resides in the brains of between a quarter of and a half of the world's population.