fair and square

Idioms  

1. Just and honest, as in He won the race fair and square. This redundant expression— fair and square mean essentially the same thing—probably owes its long life to its rhyme. [Early 1600s]

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Example Sentences

My daughters also have powers of attorney on all of my bank accounts, and my husband has his children listed as POD on his accounts as well, so that is fair and square.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

Landau says he bought the Courbet fair and square last year last year from a reputable New York dealer, whose lawyer says she was legally cleared to resell the work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

“But if anybody wants to ratify it now and stamp it assisted, we can accept it. Because we did it fair and square, no help in any way.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2023

Mr. Judge himself also expressed interest in obtaining his record-breaking ball, but he acknowledged that Mr. Youmans caught it fair and square.

From Washington Times • Oct. 6, 2022

Wanting to change the conversation, I said, “Grandpa, we won that bet fair and square, but they took my money anyway.”

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls