The word for today is…
bromide (noun):
1 : a binary compound of bromine with another element or a radical including some (such as potassium bromide) used as sedatives
2a : a commonplace or tiresome person : bore
b : a commonplace or hackneyed statement or notion
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : After bromine was discovered in 1827, 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 was used as a sedative to treat everything from epilepsy to sleeplessness, and by the 20th century, bromide was being used figuratively to apply to 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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