Fairs

Fairs (slang / casual British response)

(Also heard as: Fairs fairs, Fair play, Fairs enough, Fair dos)

Definition: Short for “fair enough.” It’s a quick, relaxed way of saying you accept a point, agree with an excuse, or have no arguments with how things turned out.

Where It Comes From: A lazy, natural shortening of the classic British phrases “fair enough” and “fair play.” As people started texting and typing in group chats faster, syllables got dropped. London streets, uni campuses, and WhatsApp threads took the old two-word standby and trimmed it down to a single, snappy word that does the exact same job.

How People Actually Use It: Dropped into group chats or said in person when you can’t be bothered arguing because the other person has a solid reason. It’s what you reply when a mate bails on the pub because they’ve got an early shift, when someone gives you a proper reason for being late, or when a football ref makes a harsh call that was actually correct.

Examples in the Wild:

• “Can’t make five-a-side tonight, pulled my hamstring yesterday.” — “Ah, fairs mate, rest up.”

  Translation: I understand your reason for not coming and I accept it.

• “I only bought the cheap lager because they were completely out of the good stuff.” — “Yeah, fairs.”

  Translation: That makes sense given the circumstances.

• “Traffic was backed up all the way to the roundabout.” — “Fairs, grab a seat, we just ordered.”

  Translation: Fair enough, don’t worry about being late.

Similar Slang: Fair play, Fair enough, Fair dos, Valid, Makes sense, Fair point, Safe