Also: common-or-garden (UK)
Garden Variety Meaning
Something that is garden variety is ordinary or common; not special or extraordinary; without frills or special features; standard issue; the regular kind (of something).
Sentence Examples
“The police said that the burglar was just a garden-variety opportunistic thief, probably looking for some quick cash for drugs.”
“I’m happy with my garden variety phone. I don’t need all those complicated apps.”
“Raspail was a transvestite?” “In life? Oh, no. Garden-variety manic-depressive. Tedious, very tedious.” — The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
“There is no argument that his uncanny displays separate him from the ranks of garden-variety stage wizards. Some of his effects transcend mere illusion and approach the realm of art.” — The Illusionist (2006)
“You have any complaints about me, McCall?” “Mr. McCall. You’re just a common garden-variety coward. You’re not even worth discussing.” — The Equalizer (2014)
“That is why, in general, a mad scientist is less desirable than a garden-variety scientist.” — Mystery Men (1999)
“It’s been real busy ’round here. We’ve had a homicide and not your garden variety, either.” — Kiss the Girls (1997)
“This is not my hat. I must have picked up the wrong hat back there.” “So?” “So…without my hat, I’m just your garden-variety six-foot-tall talking cat.” — Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat (2003)
“You just did an improv for Martin Scorsese’s casting director. Vincent, that’s not an everyday garden variety audition. That’s…I mean, that’s just… You’re in a… elite…elite core of auditionists.” — City Island (2010)
“The Clampetts will not be badgered.” “Sir?” “They are not your common garden-variety millionaires. They are, in fact, billionaires.” — The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
“I’m going crazy.” “See, that’s different. I thought it was your everyday, garden-variety, existential crisis. But crazy is different.” — Breaking Up (1997)
“Can you tell us what we’re dealing with here?” “Clearly not the garden variety of cordyceps fungi.” — Fringe: Alone in the World (2011)
“In 30 years with the F.B.I., you think you’ve seen it all. I sometimes think I have. But this is just a garden variety compensatory abduction fantasy.” — The X Files: Closure (2000)
“It’s like a mix of penguin estrogen, penguin Viagra and Spanish penguin fly. It’s making them ultrafertile.” “How ultra?” “A garden-variety penguin lays one egg a year. Since the spill, our penguins lay six eggs every 15 minutes!” — Futurama: Amazon Women in the Mood (2001)
Origin
Used since at least 1920.
The expression common or garden was originally used to refer to a common plant as opposed to an exotic hybrid. Garden variety is an American variant.
