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Discussion Groups / British English / January 2004"Fair play" - new useage?
I have noticed a new phrase has entered my vocabulary from TV in the last 3 months. It is "Fair play!", meaning "you have just made a reasonable point", "I agree with you", "I will do as you suggest" or "I concede the argument to you". I thought this was a new phrase, but my husband disgrees. He says that he used to work with someone years ago who used "Fair play!" in this sense, but can give no other details. Is this a new phrase for the 21st century, or a long-established (perhaps regional) term that has just reached me through the media? Regards, Helen. -- "It's the wrong trousers Gromit! And they've gone wrong!" >I have noticed a new phrase has entered my vocabulary from TV in the last 3 >months. It is "Fair play!", meaning "you have just made a reasonable point", [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >long-established (perhaps regional) term that has just reached me through >the media? That exact use for the expression isn't one I've particularly noticed - I'd tend to use "Fair enough or "Fair dos". I've used the latter verbally since a child and it suddenly occurs to me that I don't know how to spell it - "does" or "dos" aren't likely to suggest the appropriate pronunciation "dooz". Digressing, Partridge reports that "It's a fair cop" goes back to late C19th. The Australian "Fair dinkum" seems to come from old Lincolnshire dialect.  SignaturePhil C. > That exact use for the expression isn't one I've particularly noticed > - I'd tend to use "Fair enough or "Fair dos". I've used the latter > verbally since a child and it suddenly occurs to me that I don't know > how to spell it - "does" or "dos" aren't likely to suggest the > appropriate pronunciation "dooz". Is this a place where the greengrocer's apostrophe can be justified? "Fair do's". Cheers, Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org > > That exact use for the expression isn't one I've particularly > > noticed - I'd tend to use "Fair enough or "Fair dos". I've used the > > latter verbally since a child and it suddenly occurs to me that I > > don't know how to spell it - "does" or "dos" aren't likely to > > suggest the appropriate pronunciation "dooz". > Is this a place where the greengrocer's apostrophe can be justified? > "Fair do's". According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", which is reserved for the third person. Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/gay/99-0.htm A plenitude of noses gay, A merry nasal band. > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", which is > reserved for the third person. Ah yes; the buck stops here. SignatureBrian {Hamilton Kelly} bhk@dsl.co.uk "We can no longer stand apart from Europe if we would. Yet we are untrained to mix with our neighbours, or even talk to them". George Macaulay Trevelyan, 1919 > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", which > > is reserved for the third person. > Ah yes; the buck stops here. I'll be glad when you stop fawning. Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/photo/0y12-0.htm A Climb at Brimham Rocks This climb is booby-trapped > > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", which > > > is reserved for the third person. > > > Ah yes; the buck stops here. > > I'll be glad when you stop fawning. Oh deer.... Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org > > > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", > > > > which is reserved for the third person. > > > > > Ah yes; the buck stops here. > > > > I'll be glad when you stop fawning. > Oh deer.... It's good to see the puns aren't falling on fallow ground. Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/zodiac/7lib-0.htm Libra (September 24th - October 23rd) Images, Associations, Qualities, Careers, Health >> > > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", >> > > > which is reserved for the third person. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >It's good to see the puns aren't falling on fallow ground. I always get left be-hind :-( SignatureMolly Mockford I think I've been too long on my own, but the little green goblin that lives under the sink says I'm OK - and he's never wrong, so I must be! (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) > >> > > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", > >> > > > which is reserved for the third person. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > > I always get left be-hind :-( Yes, we've all heard about you stag-gering along. ;-) Signaturehttp://www.dacha.freeuk.com/zodiac/5leo-0.htm Leo (July 23rd - August 23rd) Images, Associations, Qualities, Careers, Health >> >> > > > According to Chambers, yes, along with "dos" but not "does", >> >> > > > which is reserved for the third person. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Yes, we've all heard about you stag-gering along. ;-) We are not a-moosed. Signaturewrmst rgrds Robin Bignall Quiet part of Hertfordshire England |
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