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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

My fair lady

I have a question about the musical title "My fair lady"? What does the title mean?
  

Top answer

Anonymous I have a question about the musical title "My fair lady"? What does the title mean? There are probably a couple of reasons they chose this title.

— Philip

  • Anonymous I have a question about the musical title "My fair lady"?
  • What does the title mean?
  • There are probably a couple of reasons they chose this title.
  • Language-wise, it is from the days of chivalry, a form of address to the lady of the manor, "fair" meaning something close to the more modern "dear".
  • It rings a bell in the ears of native speakers from the children's song "London Bridge Is Falling Down", which ends with "my fair lady".
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11 Answers
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AnonymousI have a question about the musical title "My fair lady"? What does the title mean?
There are probably a couple of reasons they chose this title. Language-wise, it is from the days of chivalry, a form of address to the lady of the manor, "fair" meaning something close to the more modern "dear". It rings a bell in the ears o
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Is there a possibility for it to have been used as "young or beautiful" ? I remember "fair" used like "young or beautiful" in my literature class but I am not sure.
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DollIs there a possibility for it to have been used as "young or beautiful" ? I remember "fair" used like "young or beautiful" in my literature class but I am not sure.
Absolutely!
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correction: I remember that "fair" was used ....
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The title "My Fair Lady" derives primarily from the final line of the song "London Bridge is Falling Down". But it is more than that: it is the Cockney pronunciation of "Mayfair Lady", and while neither 27A Wimpole St. nor Covent Garden market are in Mayfair (they are both in Westminster), the Mayfair area has always been a posh district in central London. So the reference is to Eliza's transf
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Thanks, whoever you are!

Interesting and enlightening, indeed.
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...and here's the real reason - obvious when you think about it, but as it's actually mentioned nowhere in the script, it remains the writer's little joke.

To be at the top level of London society, one aspires to live in Mayfair, right? Higgins sets out to turn cockney lass Eliza into a woman who can pass in the best society. In short, he wants her to be a 'Mayfair Lady'. But if Eliza an
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Terriffic! I had not seen this thread, but was thinking about that particular show earlier this morning -
having endured another British creation (The Phantom) a couple of nights ago at the Pantages in Hollywood. (GBS, not Lerner & Loewe) Sorry, I messed that up!
I saw Rex Harrison do it years ago at that same venue. Just incredible!

Hmmm, Lerner was born in New York, Loewe
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Correct - there isn't even a mention of Mayfair in general in Pygmalion, let alone in this (punning) context. Just A.J.Lerner's little joke. I have read elsewhere that there was, in fact, a scene in the original draft of the movie (deleted before shooting began), which has Eliza exclaiming, "But I don't wanna be no Myfair lady!", but I don't believe this claim is verified. No matter, it's a nice
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