The word for today is…
bromide (noun) – 1. (a) Univalent anionic bromine, or a compound of bromine, especially a binary compound of bromine with a more electropositive element.
(b) Potassium bromide.
2. (a) A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. See Synonyms at cliché.
(b) A tiresome person; a bore.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : After bromine was discovered in the 1820s, chemists could not resist experimenting with the new element. It didn’t take long before they found uses for its compounds, in particular potassium bromide. Potassium bromide started being used as a sedative to treat everything from epilepsy to sleeplessness, and by the 20th century, the word bromide was being used figuratively for anything or anyone that might put one to sleep because of commonness or just plain dullness. Today, bromides are no longer an ingredient in sedative preparations, but we can still feel the effects of figurative bromides as we encounter them in our daily routines.
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