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Reader question: Please explain this headline: Republicans say comments on Hillary Clinton’s health are ‘fair game’ - Los Angeles Times (May 19, 2017). What does “fair game” stand for? My comments: First, to paraphrase: Republicans say anyone can talk about Hillary Clinton’s health any way they like – It’s legal and legitimate. It will be considered normal fair play for a politician who wants to run for President. Fair play? That means behavior that’s in accordance with rules of a game. Fair play, that is, instead of foul play, which means cheating and other behavior that violates rules of the game. “Game” in “fair game”, though, actually refers to wild birds and animals being hunted by hunters or huntsmen. It’s not the same “game” as a game in sports, a game of basketball or soccer for instance. However, it may help you remember this phrase by viewing hunting as a game of sports, which, in a way, it is. In that case, fair game does imply fair play, though in a roundabout way. To prevent the loss of certain endangered species, for example, hunters have to observe their own rules, written or unwritten. Under these rules, only certain animals and birds are allowed to be slaughtered. These animals and birds are thus considered “fair game”, meaning it’s fair and square to aim and only aim for these. Hence and therefore, by extension, if certain people are considered “fair game”, it means the same thing: Anyone can figuratively speaking take an aim at them, i.e. criticize them, ridicule them, expose them and do to them other things of that horrible nature. | 
