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Glite Dictionary
fair do

fair do

9.9
It is right to give someone credit for what they did
  • noun
  • /fɛə dʊ/
  • UK
translation icon : justo reconocimiento
  • It’s only fair do to give her credit for the idea.

Examples

  • It’s only fair do to give her credit for the idea.

  • It's only fair do to recognize her hard work!

  • I have to say, fair do to Sam for handling the project so well.

  • If he apologizes, then that’s fair do and we should accept it.

  • He deserves a fair do for his contributions.

  • I have to say, fair do to Sam for handling the project so well.

  • He deserves a fair do for his contributions.

Synonyms

to give the devil his due
vsfair do
1 8.1

To admit that someone has good points even if you dislike them

focuses on saying someone deserves fair treatment or acknowledgment
fair suck of the sauce stick
vsfair do
  • Australian
9.9

To ask for everyone to have an equal chance

focuses on an individual's deserving fair treatment or acknowledgment

Surface Forms

fair do singular
fair dos plural

Morphology

fair + do

The constituents 'fair' (equitable) and 'do' (an action) combine to give a plausibly compositional meaning — that an action or acknowledgement is fair or deserved — so a learner who knows both words can partially infer the sense. However, the phrase is somewhat dialectal/colloquial (often attested as 'fair do's') and its pragmatic use (an exclamation or endorsement: 'that's fair' / 'you deserve it') and exact syntax are idiomatic, so the full meaning and use are not wholly predictable.

Etymology

Fair do comes from the simple idea that fair means 'just' and do means an action, so saying fair do is like saying 'that is a fair thing to do'. That's why people use it to say someone 'deserves' credit or fair treatment.