The term fair game, meaning someone or something that’s a legitimate target for criticism derives from old laws governing the hunting of wildlife. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Fair Game Origins”
I always thought the expression fair game, you know, like someone said it was fair game for being criticized or whatever.
I always thought fair game came from the idea of game is, you know, backgammon or checkers or tennis or something.
Oh, I thought of it as hunting.
That’s exactly what it is.
Yeah, game originally referred to an athletic contest or something like backgammon. In the 13th century, game referred to something like an athletic contest or backgammon.
And by the 14th century, it applied to wild animals who were caught or killed for sport.
And it was later that sense of wild animals as game that gave us the term fair game, game that may be lawfully hunted.
Oh, so if it’s the right season for it and you have a permit, it’s fair game.
Yeah, it’s a legitimate target.
