dull as dishwater
dull as dishwater (simile)
/ˈdʌl əz ˈdɪʃˌwɔːtər/
Meaning
- Extremely boring or uninteresting.
- Lacking excitement or stimulation.
- Tediously monotonous or dull.
Example Sentences
- The lecture was dull as dishwater, and several students fell asleep.
- His storytelling is dull as dishwater, making it hard to stay engaged.
- The movie was dull as dishwater, with a predictable plot and flat characters.
- The meeting was dull as dishwater, dragging on without any productive discussion.
- The book turned out to be dull as dishwater, despite its intriguing premise.
Origin and History
The phrase “dull as dishwater” is believed to be a variation of the earlier British expression “dull as ditchwater,” which dates back to the 1700s. “Ditchwater” refers to the stagnant, murky water found in roadside ditches, symbolizing something uninteresting or lifeless. Over time, especially in American English, “ditchwater” evolved into “dishwater,” possibly due to the more familiar imagery of bland, used water from washing dishes. This shift in terminology retained the original meaning, emphasizing extreme dullness or monotony.
Earliest Printed Record
The earliest known printed record of the phrase “dull as dishwater” appears in Delos W. Lovelace’s 1932 novel, King Kong:
“Romance isn’t romance, adventure is as dull as dishwater…to my Public…unless, every so often, a face to sink a thousand ships, or is it saps? shows up.”
This suggests that the “dishwater” variant was in use by the early 20th century.
Synonyms
- boring
- tedious
- monotonous
- uninteresting
- humdrum
Variants
- dull as ditchwater
- dull as dishwater
Both variants convey the same meaning of extreme dullness, with “ditchwater” being the original British form and “dishwater” becoming more prevalent in American usage.
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