27 February 2016
bromide
[broh-mahyd or for 1, broh-mid]
noun
1. Chemistry.
a salt of hydrobromic acid consisting of two elements, one of which is bromine, as sodium bromide, NaBr.
a compound containing bromine, as methyl bromide.
2. Pharmacology. potassium bromide, known to produce central nervous system depression, formerly used as a sedative.
3. a platitude or trite saying.
4. a person who is platitudinous and boring.
Origin of bromide
1830-1840; brom- + -ide; in defs. 3, 4 from use of some bromides as sedatives
Related forms
subbromide, noun
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Examples from the Web for bromide
Contemporary Examples
Not long ago, extremely powerful television personalities and sportscasters were abruptly fired for saying things less offensive than Trump’s bromides.
How the US Went Fascist: Mass Media Make Excuses for Trump Voters.
Juan Cole
Moyers & Company
February 24, 2016
He was adept at deflecting a direct question with an anecdote or a bromide presented as a confidence.
Richard Holbrooke’s Brilliant Drive
Harold Evans
December 12, 2010
Historical Examples
In the end, I temporised with a moderate dose of bromide, deciding to call and see if more energetic measures were necessary.
The Vanishing Man
R. Austin Freeman
And he took a dose of bromide and commended himself again to sleep, while the serpent withdrew in some confusion.
Fables For The Times
H. W. Phillips
Anagram
dire mob
or imbed
bid more
Today’s quote
There are two things that I cannot live without: music and books. Caffeine isn’t dignified enough to qualify.
– Carlos Ruiz Zafon
On this day
27 February 1922 – The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, giving women the right to vote.
27 February 1951 – the Twenty-Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, stating that ‘no person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once‘.
27 February 1953 – conclusion of negotiations for the 1953 London Debt Agreement which had concluded on 8 August 1953, when West Germany was given debt relief by creditor nations, which included Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, the United States, Yugoslavia and others. The debt of 32 billion marks (16 billion owed to the United States and 16 billion to other nations) had accumulated since the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The London Agreement halved the debt to 15 billion marks to be paid out over 30 years. The repayments were capped at 3% of export earnings and were only required while West Germany had a trade surplus. This significantly boosted West Germany’s export market and directly resulted in Germany becoming an economic powerhouse.
27 February 1964 – the Italian government states that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in danger of collapsing. It asks for international assistance in stabilising the Tower. Stabilisation work commenced in 1998 and concluded in 2003.