Note: I haven't been doing many "Word of the Day" posts lately because the module quit working. I still get them via my reader, but to be honest, I haven't felt like doing them and they were much easier to do before Dictionary.com changed their website layout. Be that as it may, here's one that made me want to start them up again, or at least at the same pace as I did before...which is to say, only when I am not familiar with the word or think of something funny to say about it. It would be more of a "Word of the Every Now and Then" in the latter case.
middling adjective [mid-ling]
1. mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian: The restaurant's entrées are no better than middling.
2. medium, moderate, or average in size, quantity, or quality: The returns on such a large investment may be only middling.
Middling reminds of of when I first got online and found the chat rooms. I thought they were really cool, having the ability to talk with people from all over the world. I popped in one day and was immediately greeted by several of the regulars. Here's a part of one conversation:
Some person: Hi, Mike! How have ya been?
Me: Oh, fair to middling.
Some person: LOL
Another person: Actually, it's not "middling".
Me: Oh? What's it supposed to be?
Same another person: It's MIDLAND, like the town in Texas.
The conversation went on for a good bit, me telling the other person that it was "middling", just like the definition - mediocre, ordinary. The other person said it was an old saying by pilots trained in Texas during WWII; they would ask on the radio how the weather was and the base would come back "Fair to Midland."
Sheesh. Would they say that if there was a thunderstorm there? Good grief.
middling adjective [mid-ling]
1. mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian: The restaurant's entrées are no better than middling.
2. medium, moderate, or average in size, quantity, or quality: The returns on such a large investment may be only middling.
Middling reminds of of when I first got online and found the chat rooms. I thought they were really cool, having the ability to talk with people from all over the world. I popped in one day and was immediately greeted by several of the regulars. Here's a part of one conversation:
Some person: Hi, Mike! How have ya been?
Me: Oh, fair to middling.
Some person: LOL
Another person: Actually, it's not "middling".
Me: Oh? What's it supposed to be?
Same another person: It's MIDLAND, like the town in Texas.
The conversation went on for a good bit, me telling the other person that it was "middling", just like the definition - mediocre, ordinary. The other person said it was an old saying by pilots trained in Texas during WWII; they would ask on the radio how the weather was and the base would come back "Fair to Midland."
Sheesh. Would they say that if there was a thunderstorm there? Good grief.
2 comments:
That why I reckon the old farmers when asked how things were would say pertiner, I think I spelt that righ from 3~ abd before kidnergarden a half day back then my Aunt Ardis and G'ma babysat me while Mother taught school, reall Aunt Ardis. Her idea of fun was callin on people or haveing them for tea or coffee.Dressing me up like a baby doll My Uncle was a sheep wool and egg buyer. it was so fun playing in the wool, eating all the cocolate ice crem i wanted, which Aunt Ardis never let me have. so I snuck out as much as posible. the old farmers love me and when good i was g'mas youngest, when naughty belonged to mother. leanrt to cuss out repiblicans, nnew the price of eggs and wool. know what crops were doing good.I had a good life as I was spoiled rotten
Cute story. I don't remember too much about my own grandparent's politics - never did hear my maternal ones say anything about it, don't think, and I believe the other set were like most of their generation, blaming the Depression on Hoover (Republican) but then blaming WWII on FDR (Democrat) Of course, both views were simplistic and a little misguided, but I think a lot of rural people thought that way in those times. FDR redeemed himself during his terms, but many economists think some of his policies helped extend the bad times, not alleviate them. I don't remember my parents being overly political until later in life.
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