quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
I am familiar with it, but it's not a common saying around here.

Growing up just South of Seattle my father used it quite a bit, but he was actually raised in Nebraska, so there's that...

Daily.

I read the explanation in the link. It would appear from that description that "fair" is above "middling" in quality, the opposite of what I would have thought. So "fair to middling'" means pretty good, not just so-so. Am I right?

Use it a lot, but usually rephrase it a little when asked "how I'm doin'" as "Fair to partly cloudy."

About 90% hear "fair to middlin'" and nod and go on with their day.

The other 10% start to nod and then say...wait...what?

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
I read the explanation in the link. It would appear from that description that "fair" is above "middling" in quality, the opposite of what I would have thought. So "fair to middling'" means pretty good, not just so-so. Am I right?

I always translated as ‘decent, can’t complain’.

Still use it.

i like bob's your uncle.

My grandfather used to say it all the time, lived all his life in El Paso and the surrounding area with a brief stint in the Atlantic in WWII. It was the kind of answer he would give without taking his pipe out of his mouth, so it always sounded gruff, and he was a crusty customer to boot. My impression of the phrase was formed that way, and "fair to middlin'" is something I'll drop if I'm "grandad" ok.

I've been using it more lately in his memory. Probably, I'll use it more now.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
i like bob's your uncle.

I used that the other day while working on a neighbor kid's ATV with him.

The look I got from him was priceless...

One of the old goats at breakfast prefers the term "fair to poor".

Yes. I've also heard the malaprop 'fair to midland'....

My maternal Grandmother used it all the time.

Still hear it occasionally.
I think it is mostly a southern thing.

I heard it as a kid, but always spoken by someone born prior to 1920.

I like Dwight Yoakam's play on words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhgAU7KgalM

Yes.

I cotton to that.

Yep, with the dropped g. Just middlin'.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
i like bob's your uncle.

I used that the other day while working on a neighbor kid's ATV with him.

The look I got from him was priceless...

i've heard it used in films with british actors (then looked it ut) and can't seem to fit it into a conversation..., yet.

Yep, heard it alot in my family, no "g" though...parents/grandparents were from the midwest which is where they picked it up; here in the PNW don't really hear it much except from folks of a mature age

Yeah