# common or garden variety

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/common-or-garden-variety
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An ordinary, standard kind.

## Examples

- This is just a common or garden variety cold.
- Do not expect anything special, as this is just a common or garden variety office chair.
- The detective realized the crime was not a complex conspiracy, but rather a common or garden variety theft.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.