1. Moderately good, passable.
1611. Cotgr., Bellastre, fairish, reasonably faire, passable.
1660. in Howell, Lexicon.
1847. Illust. Lond. News, 28 Aug., 142/1. I rowed in a fairish ‘eight.’
1863. W. C. Baldwin, African Hunting, 331. So ended a fairish day’s sport.
1882. B. M. Croker, Proper Pride, I. xi. 226. Sometimes … he is in fairish spirits.
b. dial. Tolerably well (in health); † also, merry with drink.
1756. W. Toldervy, The History of Two Orphans, IV. 3. Humphry … was now quite fairish, as he called it, and attended to nothing but spouting speeches from Shakespear’s Pistol.
1876. Oxfordsh. Gloss., s.v., ‘I be fairish.’
1888. Berksh. Gloss., s.v. Vaairish, ‘I be a veelin’ varish now zur.’
2. Considerable in amount; fairly large. colloq.
1881. Leicestersh. Gloss. ‘Theer’s pritty feerish on ’em this turn.’ ‘A feerish lot.’
1883. D. C. Murray, Hearts, II. xvii. 136. Cost a fairish penny, didn’t it, Bethesda?
1884. M. Linskill, Between the Heather and the North, xxv., in Good Words, XXV. 229/2. An’ got my two tubs o’ Hollands—two fairish-sized tubs they were.
B. adv. In a fair manner; to a fair degree. colloq. or dial.
1836–48. B. D. Walsh, Aristoph., Knights, I. iii. I … got laghed at pretty fairish.
1877. Holderness Gloss., s.v. ‘Ah’s gettin’ on fairish wi job.’
1881. Leicestersh. Gloss., s.v. ‘Surs! it’s feerish waarm.’
