English Reference
Idiom idiom

you can't say fairer than that


That is fair, good, or reasonable; one cannot hope for a better decision or outcome.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“I will pay half the cost; you can't say fairer than that.”

“They give us two weeks of extra vacation, so you can't say fairer than that.”

CONTEXTUAL

“He offered to fix the broken window for free, and I told him you can't say fairer than that.”

“The manager agreed to give everyone a full refund and a discount for next time, and honestly, you can't say fairer than that.”

“If the landlord promises to lower the rent while the elevator is broken, you can't say fairer than that during such a difficult month.”

COMPLEX

“Given the generous terms of the settlement, which resolved the dispute entirely, the lawyer remarked that you can't say fairer than that.”


The phrase appears in English as a conversational formula for acknowledging a proposal as being beyond further improvement or objection. It functions as an idiom for declaring that a set of terms is entirely equitable, implying that any further attempt at negotiation would be redundant. The construction relies on the comparative *fairer* to indicate that the limit of reasonable compromise has been reached.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beggars can't be choosers

    Something is better than nothing: those who can't provide for themselves should accept whatever help is available.

  2. 02

    can't carry a tune in a bucket

    Sings very badly.

  3. 03

    can't get enough

    Greatly enjoys; likes a lot.

  4. 04

    can't help

    To be unable to avoid a situation, or stop something from happening.

  5. 05

    can't stand

    cannot put up with

  6. 06

    can't stand the sight of

    To hate vehemently; to really despise.

  7. 07

    can't wait

    To eagerly anticipate; to find it hard to wait for a forthcoming pleasurable event.

  8. 08

    do exactly what it says on the tin

    To do what is described or what one would expect, with no further explanation needed.

Last updated August 10, 2026