BROMIDE: A compound of bromine and another element or chemical group 2a: a commonplace or tiresome person b: a commonplace or hackneyed statement or notion
After bromine was discovered in 1827, chemists could not resist experimenting with the new element. It wasn't long before they found uses for its compounds - in particular, potassium bromide, which was used as a sedative to treat everything from epliepsy to sleeplessness. By the 20th century, "bromide" was being used figuratively to apply to anything (or anyone) that might put one to sleep because of commonness or just plain dullness. Today, bromides are no longer an ingredient in sedative preparations, but we can still feel the effects of figurative bromides as we encounter them in our daily routines.
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