In a message dated 7/28/03 6:13:44 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Va8thVolsCoG@aol.com writes: > expensive. The cotton with the shorter fibers is less expensive. Fiber > length is the factor which determines the grade of cotton. A grade of "fair" > > means short fibers. A grade of middling means medium length. Fair to > middling > means from short (poor) to medium length (OK). I do love when someone know the beginning of an expression that is in general use even this far from its origin, thanks so much for this bit of trivia <G> Eliz