Indeed, the suffix '-oid,' when appended to nominal stems, frequently functions as a significant etymological marker, often denoting mere semblance, superficial imitation, or, with particular pertinence to the present deliberation, an inherent spuriousness or ersatz quality. Accordingly, the primordial definition of 'factoid'—a term whose coinage is frequently attributed to Norman Mailer—designates an item of information presented as if it were an established fact but which is, in reality, unverified or demonstrably fallacious, yet achieves widespread acceptance as truth through its persistent promulgation, especially within journalistic or mass media contexts. The subsequent, more contemporary construal of 'factoid' as merely signifying a 'trivial' or 'minor piece of information' represents a notable semantic deviation, a misconception whose widespread dissemination has been paradoxically facilitated by the very media channels implicated in the term's original, pejorative sense. Ergo, in a compelling instance of recursive irony, this now prevalent, albeit technically inaccurate, understanding of 'factoid' (as a diminutive datum) has itself metamorphosed into a quintessential exemplar of a 'factoid' according to its original definition: an unsubstantiated assertion that has gained popular currency through sustained, uncritical repetition.