Jim, that expression is still used in the midwest and means "fair to average". According to the hyperdictionary at: http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/fair+to+middling, the definition of middling is: [adj] about average; acceptable; Synonyms: adequate, passable, satisfactory. Elaine R. Original Message ----- From: "Jim Gilmer" <jimgilmer@alaweb.com> To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 11:41 AM Subject: Fw: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > That expression "middling" brings up another question. An old southern > expression used when someone asks "How y'all doin?", is the answer "fair to > middlin'". Does anyone know if that term "middling" as it applies to meat > has any connection to the expression stating one's state of health? > > Jim Gilmer > > -------Original Message------- > > From: akeegan > Date: Monday, July 28, 2003 06:45:34 AM > To: CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > Thank you David! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Cagle" <dcagle@centurytel.net> > To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 7:02 PM > Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > Middling is usually salt cured pork--sow belly or Bacon. Borrowed means > > just that. It was borrowed from someone else. > > David > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: akeegan <akeegan@c3net.net> > > To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 12:29 PM > > Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > > > > General Lee's camp was usally crude, and even when the ground was > > unsuitable for his tents, he refuse to distrub nearby residents by > > > occupying their homes. Vistors were struck by his Spartan fare. > > > He once entertained quests at a meal of cabbage upon which rested a > single > > small piece of meat, a rarity in the field during the war. Each quest > > contented himself with cabbage, politely leaving the meat. > > > The next day, when Lee asked his sevent to use the meat for dinner, he > got > > the reply: > > > "We have no meat, General, that yesterday was borried middling." > > > > > > Could someone please tell me what borried middling was? > > > I reas this passage in the book "The Civil War" by Burke Davis > > > Ann > > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > > > To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > > > and in the text area of the message, type only the word > > > unsubscribe > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > > and in the text area of the message, type only the word > > unsubscribe > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name > > . > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name >

Elaine, Thanks for the info. Does anyone suppose that the pork in the middle of the food that Lee didn't touch, called "middling", could have been derived from the meanings listed below? Jim -------Original Message------- From: CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com Date: Monday, July 28, 2003 12:56:53 PM To: CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling Jim, that expression is still used in the midwest and means "fair to average". According to the hyperdictionary at: http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/fair+to+middling, the definition of middling is: [adj] about average; acceptable; Synonyms: adequate, passable, satisfactory. Elaine R. Original Message ----- From: "Jim Gilmer" <jimgilmer@alaweb.com> To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 11:41 AM Subject: Fw: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > That expression "middling" brings up another question. An old southern > expression used when someone asks "How y'all doin?", is the answer "fair to > middlin'". Does anyone know if that term "middling" as it applies to meat > has any connection to the expression stating one's state of health? > > Jim Gilmer > > -------Original Message------- > > From: akeegan > Date: Monday, July 28, 2003 06:45:34 AM > To: CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > Thank you David! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Cagle" <dcagle@centurytel.net> > To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 7:02 PM > Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > Middling is usually salt cured pork--sow belly or Bacon. Borrowed means > > just that. It was borrowed from someone else. > > David > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: akeegan <akeegan@c3net.net> > > To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 12:29 PM > > Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Borried middling > > > > > > > General Lee's camp was usally crude, and even when the ground was > > unsuitable for his tents, he refuse to distrub nearby residents by > > > occupying their homes. Vistors were struck by his Spartan fare. > > > He once entertained quests at a meal of cabbage upon which rested a > single > > small piece of meat, a rarity in the field during the war. Each quest > > contented himself with cabbage, politely leaving the meat. > > > The next day, when Lee asked his sevent to use the meat for dinner, he > got > > the reply: > > > "We have no meat, General, that yesterday was borried middling." > > > > > > Could someone please tell me what borried middling was? > > > I reas this passage in the book "The Civil War" by Burke Davis > > > Ann > > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > > > To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > > > and in the text area of the message, type only the word > > > unsubscribe > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > > To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > > and in the text area of the message, type only the word > > unsubscribe > > > > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name > > . > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com and in the text area of the message, type only the word unsubscribe .