out of the ordinary

Idioms  

1. Unusual, uncommon, exceptional, as in The venison they served was certainly out of the ordinary. This expression sometimes, but not always, indicates that something is better than the usual. However, the negative version, nothing out of the ordinary, usually indicates that something is not special or outstanding, as in It was an interesting lecture, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Example Sentences

We had to admit we weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary.

From The Wall Street Journal

The two have not talked since the report was published Wednesday, but that’s not out of the ordinary, James attested.

From Los Angeles Times

From uncool to mainstream isn’t so out of the ordinary.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is nothing out of the ordinary, but it calls for a reset of likely destinations and contract value for the most coveted players.

From Los Angeles Times

Newsom did not attend the budget presentation Friday, which was out of the ordinary, instead opting to have California Director of Finance Joe Stephenshaw field questions about the governor’s spending plan.

From Los Angeles Times