The Archive

Etymology Journal · C

Common as dirt

Meaning

This describes something that is extremely abundant, inexpensive, or lacking in any sort of rarity or distinction. It is often used to describe items that have very little value.

Dismissive, blunt

Used in a sentence

  • Those types of antique chairs used to be common as dirt back in the day.
  • His insults are as common as dirt, so I stopped listening to him years ago.
  • You can find those souvenirs anywhere; they are common as dirt.

The backstory

Since dirt covers most of the Earth, it has been a standard of comparison for 'low value' or 'plentiful' since at least the early 1800s.

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