dull as dishwater

1. Boring, tedious, as in That lecture was dull as dishwater. The original simile, dull as ditchwater, dating from the 1700s, alluded to the muddy water in roadside ditches. In the first half of the 1900s, perhaps through mispronunciation, it became dishwater, that is, the dingy, grayish water in which dirty dishes had soaked.

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, the news is usually pretty slow this time of year so any gaffe is going to get outsized attention because the media is desperate for campaign stories that aren't dull as dishwater.

From Salon

He was dull as dishwater compared to many of the others vying for the nomination, and nobody had ever really considered him presidential timber.

From Salon

Perhaps dull as dishwater, Mendelson is nonetheless as steady as they come in a council chamber where there’s hardly a dull moment.

From Washington Post

I think something very important to remember is that we do not see good mother-in-law relationships in pop culture because good mothers-in-law are dull as dishwater from a comedic perspective.

From Slate

That’s exactly what presidents did, usually in the form of a written report — typically as dull as dishwater — for most of the nation’s history.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• bleak 
• desolate 
• dingy 
• dismal 
• dreary 
• gray 
• lackluster 
• muddy 
• run down 
• shabby 
• somber