Mediocre, pretty good, so-so, as in I asked them how they liked their new home and John answered, "Fair to middling. This phrase, often a reply to an inquiry about one's health, business, or the like, is redundant, since fair and middling both mean "moderately good." [Mid-1800s] Also see
can't complain.
fair to middling
| Idioms: fair to middling |
| WordNet: fair to middling |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The adjective has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
about average; acceptable
Synonyms: adequate, passable
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 | Dream of Fair to Middling Woman |
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 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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