Nautical meanings such as a fair course, fairway, and fair lead provide the setup for an operational joke. Each definition concerns favorable conditions, an unobstructed route, or a correctly prepared copy rather than numerical equality. The distinction is then applied to the preceding one-sided battle. For the Royal Navy, arranging overwhelming local superiority is entirely compatible with fighting under favorable conditions.
Notable Point · 16:17-17:27
The Royal Navy meaning of a fair fight
A playful dictionary digression distinguishes nautical uses of "fair" from the idea that a navy should fight in equal numbers.