October 5, 2026 - Fair

Here in Texas, especially in the Dallas area, we are in “State Fair” season!  So, let’s hink about the word fair.

You might say the weather is fair. You might say someone treated you fairly. You might describe something as fair and beautiful.

And then, of course, there's the Fair.

Right now, people all over North Texas are heading to the State Fair of Texas for rides, food, livestock, exhibits, games and a whole lot of people-watching. But with all these other uses of the word, why do we call it a fair?

The word actually goes back more than a thousand years—but here's the surprising part: the fair that means a festival or market and the fair that means just or beautiful aren't actually the same word.

The “fair” as in fair and square comes from an Old English word meaning pleasing, beautiful or agreeable. Over time, it picked up meanings like honorable, proper and impartial.

But the “fair” as in State Fair took a different route.

It came into English through Old French, from a word meaning a market or feast day, which ultimately came from the Latin feriae—days set aside for holidays and religious festivals.

Those early fairs were gatherings where people came together to buy and sell goods, enjoy food and entertainment, and celebrate.

In other words, the basic idea behind a fair hasn't changed all that much.

People still gather.
They still eat.
They still shop.
They still look at interesting things.

And, of course, they still find ways to spend money they didn't plan on spending.

So while the word fair can mean beautiful, just, or a big public celebration, there's no question which meaning we're thinking about this time of year.

The one with the funnel cakes.