Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1894
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†FAIR, n.3 A boat, in Sh. fishermen's tabu language. Also in deriv. forms fairlock (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.); farlek (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).Sh. 1894 K. Blind Folk-Lore, Shetland in New Review XI. 621:
To use the ordinary words brings ill-luck [at sea]. A boat is spoken of as a "fair."
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"Fair n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/fair_n3>
