Run-of-the-Mill (Idioms)

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Welcome to English in a Minute!

Mills process things like grain or make things like steel or paper. But what might “run-of-the-mill” mean?

Speaker A: Dan, that is a really, really special three-hole punch.
Speaker B: This? It’s just a run-of-the-mill three-hole punch.
Speaker A: I know office supplies. This is a run-of-the-mill three-hole punch. That three-hole punch is a special machine.
Speaker B: I’m going back to my desk now.
Speaker A: Maybe I can borrow it?

Something that is “run-of-the-mill” is easily found and not so special. This expression was first used in the late 1800s to describe goods that were not yet sorted for quality.

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*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.