Phrase
fair to middling
adjective
还算好；尚可。
- 1.
Only tolerably good; somewhat favorable.
还算好；尚可。
过得去；还算好
In use
The food at that diner is fair to middling—nothing special but edible.
My health has been fair to middling lately; I'm not sick but not full of energy.
The service at the hotel was only fair to middling, so I'll try another place next time.
be fair to middling
常作表语，描述质量或水平一般。
The performance was only fair to middling.
演出只是过得去。
find sth fair to middling
I found the novel fair to middling.
我觉得这本小说还算好。
describe sth as fair to middling
She described the hotel as fair to middling.
她把这家酒店描述为还算好。
Common mistakes
The weather fairs to middling today.The weather is fair to middling today.
将'fair to middling'误用作动词。该短语是形容词短语，需用系动词'be'连接主语。
His performance was very fair to middling.His performance was fair to middling.
'fair to middling'已表示'一般般'，加程度副词'very'逻辑矛盾，应直接使用。
Connections
Confusing words
- fair
- 尚可的，中等的 · ‘fair to middling’是固定短语，意为‘过得去’，而单独的‘fair’做形容词时可能表示‘公平的’或‘尚可的’，且程度更宽泛，需根据语境判断。
- middling
- 中等的，普通的 · ‘middling’单独使用意为‘中等的’，与‘fair to middling’意思相近，但‘fair to middling’是习语，语气更口语化，且强调‘还算好’的勉强肯定。
- average
- 平均的，普通的 · ‘average’意为‘平均的、普通的’，与‘fair to middling’意义重叠，但‘fair to middling’更侧重‘不算差但也不算好’的勉强态度，而‘average’更中性。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.