*Fair to Midland Meaning | Correct Spelling & Use
Fair to Midland is a misspelling of the phrase fair to middling, which means “mediocre, so-so, or moderately good.”
- The team’s performance was fair to middling.
- The team’s performance was fair to Midland.
Fair to middling meaning
Fair to middling is an adjective meaning “mediocre.” Something or someone that is fair to middling is neither amazing nor bad.
The adjectives “fair” and “middling” both mean “moderately good,” which explains the meaning of fair to middling.
In my opinion, he’s a fair-to-middling singer.
Jake: How are you doing today, Hank?
Hank: Oh, fair to middling, could be better.
Fair to middling meaning origin
Fair to middling is said to have originated in the 1800s as a way to describe the quality of agricultural goods. Farmers used a scale—fine, good, fair, middling, and poor—to describe crops, livestock, and farm products. Fair to middling was a way to place the quality of something between “fair” and “middling.”
We send our best fruit to premium markets, while the fair-to-middling produce goes to discount ones.
This hay is fair to middling. We can’t feed it to the livestock, but I’m sure we can find another use for it.
Fair to Midland meaning
Fair to Midland means the same as fair to middling. Fair to Midland is technically incorrect, though you may hear or see it used in Texan, Midwestern, and Southern American English. In this case, it’s a lighthearted, intentional misuse of the phrase.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you use the correct spelling of this phrase—fair to middling.
Fair to Midland saying origin
No one is certain about the origin of fair to Midland, but there are a few theories:
- Fair to Midland could stem from “fair to middlin’,” a regional pronunciation of fair to middling.
- The term “Midland” refers to an area of the United States that had moderate agricultural yields. Fair to Midland may have developed as a play on “Midland” meaning “mediocre.”
- Fair to Midland could have developed in reference to the city of Midland, Texas.
Frequently asked questions about fair to Midland meaning
- What are some synonyms for fair?
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“Fair” means “reasonable and correct,” “light colored,” or “moderately good.”
Some synonyms for “fair” meaning “reasonable and correct” are:
- Just
- Impartial
- Unbiased
Some synonyms for “fair” meaning “light colored” are:
Some synonyms for “fair” meaning “moderately good” are:
- Average
- Decent
- Fair to middling (sometimes misspelled as fair to Midland)
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you find even more synonyms for “fair.”
- What’s the meaning of middling?
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“Middling” is an adjective that means “moderate or average” (e.g., “The restaurant received middling reviews”).
“Middling” is also used in the phrase “fair to middling”—sometimes misspelled as fair to Midland—which also means “moderate or average.”
It’s also an adverb meaning “fairly or moderately” (e.g., “He was middling successful in his new business venture”). This use is less common.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you’re using this word correctly.
