by A. Van Jordan
fair1| fer | adjective1in accordance with the rules or standards; legitimate:We used afair,impartial process, selecting the most qualified for the job.
• just or appropriate in the circumstances:To be fair, yes, this young Black man jogging through my neighborhood does present a problem.
• archaic (of a means or procedure) gentle; not violent:The taser is afairmeans to subdue a suspect.
• Baseball (of a batted ball) within the field of play marked by the first and third baselines.
•Baseballpertaining to the fair part of the field:Robinson, number 42, hit the ball intofairterritory, but the umpire said it was out.
2(of hair or complexion) light; blond:The sista dyed her hair afairhue, but her skin?.
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• (of a person) having a light complexion or blond hair:Light.
Bright.
She’s sofairshe could damn near pass for white.
3considerable though not outstanding in size or amount:He interned, he graduated, he paid his dues, but, still, he only had afairbit of a chance.
• moderately good though not outstandingly so:He worked through many nights, he came in early, and so he? finished ahead of the field, doubling the work of ?his peers, but his evaluation was still? justfair.
4(of weather) fine and dry:Over the field, he bent for hours without fatigue;it was afairSeptember day.
5(archaic, but still used subliminally) meaning beautiful, attractive:No one spoke of her as a beauty, though she worked in the master’s house, and when she had her daughter, she was embarrassed.
But, to her surprise, people called her daughter thefairestof all.
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