run-of-the-mill

[ ruhn-uhv-thuh-mil ]

adjective

1. merely average; commonplace; mediocre:

   just a plain, run-of-the-mill house; a run-of-the-mill performance.

   Synonyms: everyday, routine, ordinary

run-of-the-mill

adjective

1. ordinary, average, or undistinguished in quality, character, or nature; not special or excellent

run of the mill

1. Common, ordinary, average: “His performance in the game was neither exemplary nor disastrous; it was simply run of the mill.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of run-of-the-mill¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Idioms and Phrases

Ordinary, average, as in There's nothing special about these singers—they're just run of the mill . This expression alludes to fabrics coming directly from a mill without having been sorted or inspected for quality. It has survived such similar phrases as run of the mine and run of the kiln , for the products of mines and kilns. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

If you are either a woman or genuinely care about women, backing Trump is a lot different from supporting your run-of-the-mill Republican.

From Salon

He laughed and told me about his more run-of-the-mill dates, with whom he just hadn’t felt any romantic connection.

From Los Angeles Times

He could make some run-of-the-mill stand-up special that would be quickly forgotten post-election day, or maybe making some derivative version of “The Daily Show.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The closest thing I got was an Irish pub. But I realized what I was really after was a tavern that you see in fantasy tales — a Prancing Pony, or any run-of-the-mill Dungeons & Dragons tavern.”

From Los Angeles Times

He is treating the most significant criminal case in American history as a run-of-the-mill prosecution.

From Salon

Related Words

• middling
• undistinguished