A: It’s reported that a new mall opened in your neighborhood over the weekend, attracting thousands. How is it?

    B: It’s just a garden-variety shopping mall, large but not special in any way. A huge crowd went there perhaps because it’s the first large mall on the block.

    Note: Of British origin, this term means “very ordinary.” Its original meaning relates to the type of plant, fruit or vegetable which is found frequently in gardens or on “commons.” Historically, “commons” were the large patches of grass or woodland that ancient rural villages designated for the use of the community. If such a plant is found growing in “the common or garden,” it is likely to be unexceptional because of its abundance. The phrase is applied to anything that is common or unexceptional.