• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Expression “Run of the Mill” For Something Ordinary Originate and What Does the Idiom Mean?

Where Did the Expression “Run of the Mill” For Something Ordinary Originate and What Does the Idiom Mean?

May 23, 2020 by Karen Hill

Since the dawn of the industrial age, anything that is unspectacular yet functional has been called “run of the mill.”

When a raw product is to be mechanically processed, whether through a gristmill or the mill of a mine, it emerges in bulk before the different sizes and qualities have been separated by value.

Worth can’t be determined until further refining and so everything looks the same, and that’s why anything ordinary is called run of the mill.

Something ordinary said to be “run of the mill”.

Related Facts

  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed Our Lives Forever
  • History of Money
  • Where Did the Expression “Through the Mill” Come From and What Does the Saying Mean?
  • How much were mill workers paid for their work in the 1800s?
  • How Fast Can Camels Run and How Long Can They Run For?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where Did the Phrase “From Pillar to Post” For Someone Lost Come From and What Does the Expression Mean?
Next Post: What Does the Phrase “Going To Pot” Mean and How Did the Expression For Something Deteriorating Originate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy