common

*common as an old shoe and *common as dirt

low class; uncouth. (*Also: as ~.) That ill-mannered girl is just as common as an old shoe. Despite Mamie's efforts to appear to be upper class, most folks considered her common as dirt.

See also: old, shoe

common thread (to all this)

Fig. a similar idea or pattern to a series of events. All of these incidents are related. There is a common thread to all this.

See also: thread

have something in common (with someone or something)

[for groups of people or things] to resemble one another in specific ways. Bill and Bob both have red hair. They have that in common with each other. Bob and Mary have a lot in common. I can see why they like each other.

See also: have

in the Common Era and in the C.E.

[of dates] a year after the year 1 according to the Western calendar. (Offered as a replacement for Anno Domini and A.D.) The comet was last seen in the year 1986 in the Common Era. The Huns invaded Gaul in 451 C.E.

ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory

Prov. Common sense will help you solve problems more than theory will. The psychologist had many elaborate theories about how to raise her child, but often forgot that an ounce of common sense is worth a pound of theory.

See also: ounce, pound, sense, theory, worth

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as common as muck  (British & Australian informal)

an impolite way of describing someone who is from a low social class You can tell from the way she talks she's as common as muck.

See also: muck

common ground

shared opinions between two people or groups of people who disagree about most other subjects It seems increasingly unlikely that the two sides will find any common ground.

See also: ground

common-or-garden  (British)

very ordinary (always before noun) I just want a common-or-garden bike - it doesn't have to have special wheels or lots of gears or anything like that.

make common cause with somebody   (formal)

if one group of people makes common cause with another group, they work together in order to achieve something that both groups want Environment protesters have made common cause with local people to stop the motorway from being built.

See also: cause, make

the common touch

the ability of a rich or important person to communicate well with and understand ordinary people It was always said of the princess that she had the common touch and that's why she was so loved by the people. He was a dedicated and brilliant leader but he lacked the common touch.

See also: touch

the lowest common denominator

the large number of people in society who will accept low-quality products and entertainment The problem with so much television is that it aims at the lowest common denominator.

See also: low

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have something in common (with somebody/something)

to share interests or characteristics What these very old objects have in common is that they were all stolen and smuggled out of the country. What does the new model have in common with earlier versions?

Usage notes: also used in the forms have nothing in common and have a lot in common: The two women had absolutely nothing in common. The two men had a lot in common and got along well.

See also: have

make common cause (slightly formal)

to work together to achieve something A number of groups have made common cause with local people to stop the highway from being built. The two countries have begun to make common cause against shared enemies.

Related vocabulary: have something in common (with somebody/something)

See also: cause, make