fair and square
honest, open
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The Muslim Brotherhood believes its candidate, Mohammed Mursi, won the election FAIR AND SQUARE.
(BBC News)
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J.C. Penney president Michael Francis, the junior partner in the executive duo leading the chain's radical new FAIR AND SQUARE pricing strategy - which eliminated most sales - resigned Monday, after just eight months on the job.
(dailyfinance.com)
(BBC News)
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J.C. Penney president Michael Francis, the junior partner in the executive duo leading the chain's radical new FAIR AND SQUARE pricing strategy - which eliminated most sales - resigned Monday, after just eight months on the job.
(dailyfinance.com)
Did you
know?
fair and square
idiom
- in an honest way and without any doubt
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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The expression fair and square goes back to the 17th century. It uses square in the sense of honest, fair. This essentially makes "fair and square" a redundant phrase. Or as the experts like to say, it is a tautological expression (from the Greek tauto - redundant - and logos - to say), a practice that has been around for several centuries. Since the two words rhyme, fair and square at least has a nice sound to it however.
The English language is full of commonly-used redundant expressions, as the following examples illustrate:
- Sign up today for our service and receive a "free gift".
- The national weather today issued an "advanced warning" of a large storm approaching from the west.
- He has a "new creation" that he believes will make a lot of money.
- "Past history" has shown that the stock market will eventually recover.
- My parents have lots of "old antiques" in the attic.
- We should first give management a "brief summary" of the project.
- The "joint cooperation" has led to several "new innovations".
- As an "added bonus", we had backstage passes to meet the band after the concert.
- If we don't "plan ahead", we could miss the target date.
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SYNONYMS
aboveboard, by the book, honest, just, straightforward
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"England won the cricket match against India fair and square."
idiom
- in an honest way and without any doubt
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
The expression fair and square goes back to the 17th century. It uses square in the sense of honest, fair. This essentially makes "fair and square" a redundant phrase. Or as the experts like to say, it is a tautological expression (from the Greek tauto - redundant - and logos - to say), a practice that has been around for several centuries. Since the two words rhyme, fair and square at least has a nice sound to it however.
The English language is full of commonly-used redundant expressions, as the following examples illustrate:
- Sign up today for our service and receive a "free gift".
- The national weather today issued an "advanced warning" of a large storm approaching from the west.
- He has a "new creation" that he believes will make a lot of money.
- "Past history" has shown that the stock market will eventually recover.
- My parents have lots of "old antiques" in the attic.
- We should first give management a "brief summary" of the project.
- The "joint cooperation" has led to several "new innovations".
- As an "added bonus", we had backstage passes to meet the band after the concert.
- If we don't "plan ahead", we could miss the target date.
---
SYNONYMS
aboveboard, by the book, honest, just, straightforward
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"England won the cricket match against India fair and square."
