nothing to write home about

Idioms and Phrases

Ordinary or unremarkable, as in The restaurant was all right but nothing to write home about . This idiom originated in the late 1800s, possibly among troops stationed far from home, and became widespread during World War I.

Example Sentences

The food was nothing to write home about, but our mediocre meal was supplemented by respectable cocktails and an even better view of the sunset.

From Los Angeles Times

"The exodus of nurses is not going to stop because of our poor conditions of service. Our salary is nothing to write home about and in two weeks you spend it. It's from hand to mouth."

From BBC

The first came after I read the work she reviewed and realized the piece wasn't nothing to write home about, and two, Caron did get it, she understood my jokes and timing even though they weren't enough to drive home the points I was trying to make, which is a problem.

From Salon

Rooms with views remain few and far between on the dining landscape, and they generally come with a caveat: food that’s nothing to write home about.

From Washington Post

It was nothing to write home about — as my partner put it, some food just “tastes like nothing” — but it wasn’t offensively bad.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• generic
• mediocre
• prosaic
• so-so
• uneventful
• uninspired
• unremarkable