above-board
Open and fair
Above-board means open, honest, and legitimate—nothing hidden or underhanded.
The term comes from card games: keeping your hands above the board (table) showed you weren't concealing cards or cheating.
The transaction was completely above-board.
Is this above-board, or should I be worried?
Often hyphenated as an adjective, unhyphenated as an adverb.
Free from deception
- transparentAllowing light through
- legitimateConforming to accepted standards
- lawfulPermitted by statute
- legalPermitted by statute
proper · upright · principled · honorable · trustworthy · reputable · scrupulous · conscientious
honest
Free from deception
- transparentAllowing light through
- legitimateConforming to accepted standards
- lawfulPermitted by statute
legal · proper · upright · principled · honorable · trustworthy · reputable · scrupulous · conscientious · integrity
deck
Ship's flat surface
maritime · sea · ocean · yacht · mast · helm · rigging · anchor · bow · stern
- integrityintegrity, honesty, truthfulness, uprightness, rectitude
- uprightupright, erect, vertical, perpendicular, standing
above-boardillicit
Prohibited by law
corrupt · fraudulent · off the books · illegal · unlawful