fair to middling
Not bad, not great. About average, maybe a hair better.
Also called fair to middlin', fair to Midland.
Updated September 21, 2026
fair to middling pronunciation
/FAIR tuh MID-lin/
Meaning
The polite farm answer when somebody asks how you are doing or how the crop looks. Fair to middling means passable: you are upright, the weather is living with, the cotton would sell. Drop the g and you get fair to middlin', the Southern mouthful. It is praise with the brakes on.
How folks use it
- “How you feelin' this morning? Fair to middling.”
- “Crop looks fair to middling after that dry spell.”
Origin and etymology
Came out of 1800s commodity grading, especially cotton. Brokers ranked fiber from poor and ordinary up through middling and fair toward fine. Charleston papers were already quoting "fair to middling" cotton in 1822. Farm talk jumped the fence into everyday Southern chat for anything so-so. Texas later joked "fair to Midland," a playful twist on middlin'.
Frequently asked questions
Is fair to Midland the same thing?
Mostly a punchline version, often tied to Texas. Same "I'm doing okay" shrug under different clothes.