fair [OE] The word fair is recorded from Old English in the sense ‘pleasing, attractive’. In early uses its opposite is often given as *foul, as in the phrase by fair means or foul. This opposition remains in the phrases fair play and foul play, both of which first appeared in Late Middle English. The sense blonde was present in Middle English and probably in Old English. Fair applied to handwriting to mean ‘neat, legible’ dates from the early 17th century. From this we get fair copy, the final corrected copy of a document. People have been saying all’s fair in love and war to justify what they are doing since the early 17th century. The fair (or fairer) sex, a term for women, is recorded from the 17th century.

The kind of fair with stalls and amusements is a completely different word. It comes via Old French from Latin feria ‘holy day’, as fairs were often held on religious holidays. See also copper, dinkum.