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variety

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common or garden variety

A standard, unexceptional, or commonly found kind (of thing). Primarily heard in UK. That's just your common or garden variety house spider; there's no need to be concerned about its bite.

See also: common, garden, variety

garden variety

A standard, unexceptional, or commonly found kind (of thing). That's just your garden variety house spider; there's no need to be concerned about its bite.

See also: garden, variety

Variety is the spice of life.

Prov. Cliché You should try many different kinds of experiences, because trying different things keeps life interesting. I know we usually spend our summer vacation camping out, but I think we should try something different this year. Variety is the spice of life.

See also: life, of, spice, variety

garden-variety

  (American & Australian)

very ordinary (always before noun) It's just a garden-variety shopping mall, large but not special in any way.

Variety is the spice of life.

something that you say which means life is more interesting when it changes often and you have many different experiences I have to work in the heat of Sudan one week and the cold of Alaska the next, but I suppose variety is the spice of life.

See also: life, of, spice, variety

garden variety

Ordinary, common, as in I don't want anything special in a VCR-the garden variety will do. This term alludes to a common plant as opposed to a specially bred hybrid. [Colloquial; 1920]

See also: garden, variety

variety is the spice of life

Diversity makes life interesting, as in Jim dates a different girl every week-variety is the spice of life, he claims. This phrase comes from William Cowper's poem, "The Task" (1785): "Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor."

See also: life, of, spice, variety

variety store

A retail shop that carries a large selection of usually inexpensive merchandise, as in What this town needs is a good variety store. [Second half of 1700s]

See also: store, variety

Heinz 57 (variety)

(hɑɪnz...)

1. n. a mongrel breed of dog. (From the trade name of a condiment company.) We have one pedigreed dog and one Heinz 57 variety.

2. n. any mixture or mixed variety; any composition variable or undetermined parts. Our old house was sort of Heinz 57. A little bit of a lot of styles.

See also: 57, Heinz, variety