a fair cop of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a fair cop of" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "a fair cop"? You can use "a fair cop" in informal contexts to acknowledge that someone has been caught or punished fairly for their actions. Example: "When the police stopped him for speeding, he admitted it was a fair cop and accepted the ticket."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It was a fair cop, of course.

The Guardian - Music

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Probably a fair cop.

The Guardian

That was a fair cop.

The Guardian - Sport

It was a fair cop.

The Guardian - Film

A fair cop, you might say.

The Guardian - Film

It's a fair cop, guv.

The Guardian - Music

He said: "In a way it's a fair cop.

The Guardian

It'd be a fair cop as well.

The Guardian - Books

In this case it's a fair cop.

The Guardian - Film

Exeter had two tries ruled out either side of half-time, both for forward passes, the first particularly harsh, the second a fair cop.

The Guardian - Sport

It was, as the native north Londoner might have put it, a fair cop.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the correct idiom "a fair cop" without the preposition "of" to acknowledge a deserved capture or punishment.

Common error

Avoid adding "of" after "a fair cop". The correct idiomatic expression is simply "a fair cop", not "a fair cop of".

Linguistic Context

The phrase, while grammatically incorrect, attempts to function as an idiomatic expression acknowledging a justified apprehension or deserved consequence. As Ludwig AI explains, the correct expression is simply "a fair cop".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Reference

25%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The query "a fair cop of" is an incorrect variation of the British English idiom "a fair cop". As Ludwig AI highlights, the correct phrase is used to acknowledge that someone has been justly caught or punished. The addition of "of" after "a fair cop" is grammatically incorrect. While the sources where the phrase (incorrectly) appears are generally reliable, such as The Guardian and The New York Times, it is essential to use the correct idiomatic form. Alternatives include phrases like "justly apprehended" or "deserved the punishment".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a fair cop

Omits the preposition "of", forming the correct idiom.

rightfully caught

Emphasizes the correctness of the capture.

legitimately caught

Indicates that the capture was in accordance with rules or laws.

justly apprehended

Replaces the colloquialism with a formal expression indicating a rightful arrest.

deserved the blame

Shifts from legal context to general culpability.

deserved the punishment

Focuses on the deserved nature of the penalty.

earned the consequences

Highlights the earned nature of the outcome.

brought it on themselves

Suggests self-inflicted consequences, less formal.

brought it upon themselves

More formal than "brought it on themselves", but conveys the same meaning.

had it coming

An informal way of saying someone deserved what happened.

FAQs

What does "a fair cop" mean?

"A fair cop" is a British English idiom that means someone has been caught or punished fairly for something they did.

Is it correct to say "a fair cop of"?

No, the correct idiom is "a fair cop". The addition of "of" is grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "a fair cop"?

You can use alternatives like "justly apprehended", "deserved the blame", or "rightfully caught" depending on the context.

How can I use "a fair cop" in a sentence?

Example: "He admitted it was "a fair cop" and accepted the consequences."