ordinary thing

[/ˈɔːrdəneri θɪŋ/]
noun phrasepl: ordinary things
coisa ordinária; coisa comum
1. something that is not special, remarkable, or unusual; something commonplace or everyday
Finding a coin on the street is just an ordinary thing.
Encontrar uma moeda na rua é apenas uma coisa ordinária.
2. something of average quality or standard nature
The restaurant serves ordinary things, nothing fancy.
O restaurante serve coisas comuns, nada sofisticado.
3. an unremarkable or mundane occurrence or object
For him, traveling was just an ordinary thing.
Para ele, viajar era apenas uma coisa comum.
In both Brazilian and American English, this phrase is used to downplay or normalize something, suggesting it is not worth special attention. In Brazil, distinguishing between 'ordinário' (ordinary/vulgar) and 'comum' (common) is important for appropriate usage in formal vs. casual contexts.
NYC Slang
nothing special; regular thing; no big deal
Synonyms / Sinônimos
commonplace thingeveryday thingusual thingnormal thingroutine matter
Antonyms / Antônimos
extraordinary thingremarkable thingunusual thingexceptional thingrare thing

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
coisa ordinária; coisa comum
Standard usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
coisa normal; algo banal
Colloquial usage emphasizing normality
São Paulo
coisa comum; nada de especial
Neutral, everyday expression
Portugal
coisa vulgar; coisa corriqueira
Portuguese uses 'vulgar' to mean common rather than offensive

Related Words

mundanecommonplaceordinaryaverageroutinetypicalcommon

Related Idioms & Phrases

nothing out of the ordinary
just your everyday thing
a dime a dozen
run-of-the-mill
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