false pretension

"A fault in manner," he says, "is laughable; a false pretension is ridiculous, a situation which exposes vice to detestation is comic, a bon mot is pleasant."

From History of English Humour, Vol. 2 by Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange

Dissimulā′tion, the act of dissembling: a hiding under a false appearance: false pretension: hypocrisy; Dissimulā′tor.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

The detection, it is true, is not so easy, because the objects are not so nigh at hand to compare, and therefore there is more room both for false pretension and for self-deceit.

From Table Talk Essays on Men and Manners by William Hazlitt

But at that critical period of their daughter's life, they were ignorant of human nature, and entirely unskilled in the means of detecting false pretension, or discovering true merit.

From The Lights and Shadows of Real Life by T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur

He was willing to do it,—but was not willing that there should be any soft-worded, high-toned false pretension.

From The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope