Look up bromide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Bromide in literary usage means a phrase, cliché, or platitude that is trite or unoriginal. It can be intended to soothe or placate; it can suggest insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker.[1][2] Bromide can also mean a commonplace or tiresome person, a bore (a person who speaks in bromides).
Etymologyedit
Various bromine salts or bromides were discovered during the second half of the 19th century to have calming effects on the central nervous system. By the end of the century, they were widely used both for specific indications like epilepsy, convulsions, and insomnia, and even for "general nervousness".[3]Sodium bromide was used in remedies such as Bromo-Seltzer that were popular for headaches and hangovers, in part due to the sedative effects.[4]
In April 1906, the American humorist Gelett Burgess published an essay in The Smart Set called "The Sulphitic Theory". In this essay, he used "bromide" to characterize a sedate, dull person who said boring things.[5][6] In the fall of 1906, he published a revised and enlarged essay in the form of a small book.[7] The book's full title was Are You a Bromide? Or, The Sulphitic Theory Expounded and Exemplified According to the Most Recent Researches Into the Psychology of Boredom: Including Many Well-known Bromidioms Now in Use. In these works he labeled a dull person as a "Bromide" contrasted with a "Sulphite" who was the opposite. Bromides meant either the boring person himself or the boring statement of that person, with Burgess providing many examples.
This usage persisted through the 20th century into the 21st century. Some well known quotes (or bromides) in current usage that appeared in Burgess' Are You a Bromide? include:
"I don't know much about Art, but I know what I like."
"... she doesn't look a day over fifty."
"You'll feel differently about these things when you're married."
"It isn't so much the heat... as the humidity...."
1906 newspaper article: Gallagher, James (December 30, 1906). "Are You a Bromide? Or, Are You a Sulphite?". The San Francisco Call – via U.S. Library of Congress Chronicling America archive.
^"Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition". HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
^Mitchell, Silas W. (1896). "On the Exceptional Effects of Bromides". Transactions of the Association of American Physicians. 11: 195–205.
^Lockhart; Schulz; Lindsey; Schriever; Serr (2014). (PDF). Society for Historical Archaeology. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
^Metcalf, Alan A. (2004). Predicting New Words - The Secrets of Their Success. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 36–42. ISBN0-618-13006-3. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
^Gertz, Stephen J. (17 August 2010). "The First Official (and Still Best) Publisher's "Blurb"". Booktryst. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
^Burgess, Gelett (October 1906). Are You A Bromide, Or The Sulphitic Theory. Internet Archive (archive.org): B.W. Huebsch. p. 74. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
January 01, 1970
bromide, language, look, bromide, wiktionary, free, dictionary, bromide, literary, usage, means, phrase, cliché, platitude, that, trite, unoriginal, intended, soothe, placate, suggest, insincerity, lack, originality, speaker, bromide, also, mean, commonplace, . Look up bromide in Wiktionary the free dictionary Bromide in literary usage means a phrase cliche or platitude that is trite or unoriginal It can be intended to soothe or placate it can suggest insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker 1 2 Bromide can also mean a commonplace or tiresome person a bore a person who speaks in bromides Etymology editVarious bromine salts or bromides were discovered during the second half of the 19th century to have calming effects on the central nervous system By the end of the century they were widely used both for specific indications like epilepsy convulsions and insomnia and even for general nervousness 3 Sodium bromide was used in remedies such as Bromo Seltzer that were popular for headaches and hangovers in part due to the sedative effects 4 In April 1906 the American humorist Gelett Burgess published an essay in The Smart Set called The Sulphitic Theory In this essay he used bromide to characterize a sedate dull person who said boring things 5 6 In the fall of 1906 he published a revised and enlarged essay in the form of a small book 7 The book s full title was Are You a Bromide Or The Sulphitic Theory Expounded and Exemplified According to the Most Recent Researches Into the Psychology of Boredom Including Many Well known Bromidioms Now in Use In these works he labeled a dull person as a Bromide contrasted with a Sulphite who was the opposite Bromides meant either the boring person himself or the boring statement of that person with Burgess providing many examples This usage persisted through the 20th century into the 21st century Some well known quotes or bromides in current usage that appeared in Burgess Are You a Bromide include I don t know much about Art but I know what I like she doesn t look a day over fifty You ll feel differently about these things when you re married It isn t so much the heat as the humidity You re a sight for sore eyes See also editCliche Trope literature Idiom 1906 newspaper article Gallagher James December 30 1906 Are You a Bromide Or Are You a Sulphite The San Francisco Call via U S Library of Congress Chronicling America archive References edit The Free Dictionary Collins English Dictionary Complete amp Unabridged 10th Edition HarperCollins Publishers Retrieved 24 August 2017 Mitchell Silas W 1896 On the Exceptional Effects of Bromides Transactions of the Association of American Physicians 11 195 205 Lockhart Schulz Lindsey Schriever Serr 2014 Bromo Seltzer in the Cobalt Blue Bottles PDF Society for Historical Archaeology Archived from the original PDF on 2 July 2017 Retrieved 24 August 2017 Metcalf Alan A 2004 Predicting New Words The Secrets of Their Success Boston Houghton Mifflin Harcourt pp 36 42 ISBN 0 618 13006 3 Retrieved 27 August 2017 Gertz Stephen J 17 August 2010 The First Official and Still Best Publisher s Blurb Booktryst Retrieved 24 August 2017 Burgess Gelett October 1906 Are You A Bromide Or The Sulphitic Theory Internet Archive archive org B W Huebsch p 74 Retrieved 27 August 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bromide language amp oldid 1114158627, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
