# For fair **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184 "2015-08-28T16:03:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lk122232](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@lk122232](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk122232)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/1 "2015-08-28T16:03:32Z")
For fair. I heard this many times from older people but have no idea what it really means. anybody have the answer ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/2 "2015-08-28T17:52:53Z")
> [@lk122232](#): > > For fair. I heard this many times from older people but have no idea what it really means. anybody have the answer I believe it means somewhat the same thing as “for certain”. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/3 "2015-08-28T17:54:12Z")
Did you hear this in the US, Canada, Britain or somewhere else? I have never heard this term used by anyone anywhere or seen it in TV or film. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/4 "2015-08-28T17:55:17Z")
Or maybe they are making some marmalade for the State Fair. “These oranges are for Fair.” State Fair was also a fun old movie. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/5 "2015-08-28T18:12:12Z")
According to [this](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/for-fair), “completely and finally.” ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/6 "2015-08-28T19:44:30Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > According to [this](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/for-fair), “completely and finally.” So, probably a clever variation on “for good”… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/7 "2015-08-29T06:31:13Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > So, probably a clever variation on “for good”… Quite possibly. The one time I heard it was from 2 great-uncles. One said " That will settle this problem for good." and the other responded “Well, at least for fair”, indicating some skepticism about this settling of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-fair/729184/8 "2015-08-29T21:10:51Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Quite possibly. > The one time I heard it was from 2 great-uncles. One said " That will settle this problem for good." and the other responded “Well, at least for fair”, indicating some skepticism about this settling of the problem. Or indicating the same meaning (i.e., completely), but having a little wordplay fun with other meanings of “good” and “fair.” If there had been a third great-uncle there, he might have continued with “for poor.”