Fair to middlen

Posted by Smokey Stover May 10, 2007In reply to Fair to middlen posted by Bob on May 08, 2007

What's the source of "FAIR TO MIDDLEN" ?

If you spell it fair to middling, and type that into the Search Box (back one page) you'll find 17 postings.

One could easily hear "middlin'" as "middlen," and I suspect that's what's happened. I think I've more often heard middlin' than middling.
SS