Pinning down meaning of great Aussie

It might seem that all is fair when getting to the heart of one of our most famous Australianisms, but it’s not quite as simple as that, says Ian Cole

It’s very much an Australianism to say everyone is entitled to a fair go.

It may be hard to define what a fair go actually is, but we seem to believe it is something everyone is allowed to have. If they stuff up after being allowed a fair go, then that’s their business.

We’ve done our bit by giving them a chance.

The word “fair” can be hard to define and we tend to use it in a variety of circumstances.

When we were kids at play and a circumstance arose that gave us cause for complaint, we might respond with “That’s not fair!”.

As adults when intimidated by a situation, we may well cry “Oh, fair go!” or “Fair crack of the whip!” or, quoting Paul Hogan (pictured), “Fair suck of the sauce bottle!”.

Even when asked how we are going, we may reply “Fair to middling” or “Fair to muddling” or “Fair to battling”.

When we are given a satisfactory answer about a matter, we might routinely reply “Fair enough”. And, of course, a fair trial is expected in democratic countries as laid down by Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Although, as I mentioned recently in an article, back In America’s Wild West, judge Roy Bean had other ideas when stating a certain accused person would get a fair trial.

It would be followed by a first-class hanging.

We might also apply the word in its superlative form by using the term “fairest”.

Football awards are renowned for players being the best and fairest. That simply means they hadn’t been reported and suspended for a prohibited act or, back in my day, before video cameras, they maybe hadn’t been caught out.

“Fairest” in other circumstances can mean

“most beautiful”. In Greek legend, Paris was asked to choose the fairest of the Gods.

He chose Aphrodite, who rewarded him with the most beautiful mortal, Helen of Sparta. It was then said her face launched a thousand ships that resulted in the prolonged Trojan War.

Then, more recently, came the 1937 Disney movie classic Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs. The evil queen would routinely ask her Magic Mirror: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”. When told it was Snow White, all hell broke loose.

She should have abided by Rumpole of the Bailey’s advice: “Never ask a question unless you first know the answer.”

Historically, the word “fair” was given pretty wild licence with the saying “All’s fair in love and war”. It seems these days this dictum gets taken to extremes in reality TV shows.

Again, I might just leave the last word on being fair to Oscar Wilde who always seems to have an appropriate comment.

He said: “One should always play fairly, when one holds the winning cards.”

Now, fair dinkum, is that a fair go?