Fair to middling vs. Fair to midland

Fair to middling

/ˌfɛər tə ˈmɪdlɪŋ/

Average or slightly better than average in quality.

Examples:

The food was fair to middling, nothing to rave about.Her performance was fair to middling by their standards.Our profits last year were fair to middling, not too bad.

Synonyms:

averagepassable

Antonyms:

excellentpoor

Fair to midland

/fɛr tə ˈmɪdlənd/

A phrase used to describe something average or slightly better than average.

Examples:

The cake's taste was fair to midland, not extraordinary.The weather today is fair to midland, mildly pleasant.His performance was fair to midland, lacking some zest.

Synonyms:

averagemediocre

Antonyms:

terriblepoor

Ways to tell them apart:

• Fair to middling is the original phrase and refers to something that is average or slightly better than average.
• Fair to midland is a folk etymology mistake stemming from the original phrase, often used humorously or colloquially.
• Remember that middling links to something in the middle range, while midland may falsely imply a geographical area — think of the Midlands in England or the Midland areas in the U.S.
• When you want to refer to quality or condition, think middling middle-grade, not Midland location.
• If youre unsure, consider if youre talking about quality (middling) or mistakenly referencing a place (Midland).