A: Did you buy the transparent TV he recommended?

B: No. I haven’t got that money to spend, and bought a plain-vanilla television. Have you bought a car?

A: Yes, I have. I bought a plain-vanilla car without a lot of high-tech features.

Note: Chiefly used in the United States, this informal term means “not having any special features or qualities, simple, down-to-earth.” It alludes to vanilla ice cream, taken to be the most basic flavor.