“To be fair”

[HotCrossBunplease]

Hs anyone else noticed this phrase becoming ubiquitous in spoken British English, usually in contexts where fairness or otherwise is not remotely relevant?

“I do love pizza, to be fair”

Correct if the conversation went “You love Italian food”
”No, can’t stand it. Oh, hold on…”

Incorrect if it goes. “I’m looking forward to dinner tonight..”

It seems to be everywhere!

yes drives me crazy as well. Surely it should be ´to be honest’ 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes, it seems to be replacing 'to be honest' which was equally stupid.

Oh dear.

Yes it's a bit annoying.

See also, 'not gonna lie... I love chocolate.' Or 'not gonna lie, the roads were so busy this morning.'

Why not just say 'I love chocolate?!' OR 'the roads were so busy this morning?!'

I hate it too! Pointless talk. And as pp said 'not gonna lie'. 🙄

But that wouldn’t make sense in the situation the OP is describing either. I’ve never heard it in the way the OP describes but I have heard it in situations where “to be honest” also makes sense. I don’t use it but it doesn’t bother me.

Yes. All these people being solicitously fair and swearing never to lie about things that are not remotely unfair or worth lying about! 😂

@MissPeaches yes but if you have to qualify when you are being honest implies you sometimes are not?

I promise you will now hear it everywhere you turn!

I’ve started saying “to be fair” and I have no control over it…

Agree - but at least tbh has some role - it serves to strengthen the statement but tbf is just redundant and meaningless

It’s a meaningless filler phrase - very annoying. Another one I hate is ‘if that makes sense..’ constantly appended to statements. Sounds cheesy and slightly ingratiating..

I had a medical consultation recently with someone who appended this to virtually every sentence. I was just about ready to scream, "Yes, it makes sense! I'm not an idiot!"

To be fair, some of the people they deal with are idiots, ngl

The teens do it. They all sound like serious elderly men. Have they adopted it from football commentators?

I thought to be fair and I’m not gonna lie both came from Gavin and Stacey?

That was my first thought too, not gonna lie.

😂😂