give someone a fair shake
Meaning: To give someone or something a chance to prove itself.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: American slang from around 1830, most likely drawn from dice gambling: a "fair shake" of the dice cup, free of any sleight of hand, guaranteed an honest, unmanipulated roll rather than one rigged in the shaker's favor. The metaphor transferred naturally from the gaming table to any situation calling for equal, unbiased treatment — giving someone "a fair shake" means giving them the same honest chance everyone else gets, with nothing stacked against them behind the scenes.
More idioms — Daily Life
- fair to middling — Average; neither good nor bad.
- fall by the wayside — To drop out of the situation.
- fall for something — To be deceived or believe an unlikely story.
- fall for someone — To be in love with a person.
- fall off the wagon — To lose control of oneself and engage in a compulsive behavior.
- fall on deaf ears — To be heard but ignored, or to be heard but to have no effect.
More English idioms
- feather one's nest — To build up one's riches, usually quietly and perhaps by some unethical method (sentence…
- far cry from something — Much less than what was expected or anticipated.
- feel something in one's bones — To sense something without being able to see, hear or feel it; to have a premonition.
- feel the pinch — To have less money than one used to have, and less than one feels is necessary.
- feather in one's cap — An exceptional achievement.
- fill the bill — To suit or satisfy a need.
From our compliments & insults
- Más terco/a que una mula — Hopelessly obstinate — no argument, fact, or force of nature will shift their position.
- Pareces un pulpo en un garaje — You're completely out of place — flailing around uselessly in an environment that makes n…
- Che rompiscatole — What an insufferable pest — someone who endlessly pesters and never lets you be.