Garden variety?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="variety">variety</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="There">There</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="charm">charm</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="backyard">backyard</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="variety">variety</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="common">common</span>, <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span>. <span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="backyard">backyard</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="charming">charming</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ordinary">ordinary</span> <span word="backyard">backyard</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="homes">homes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="area">area</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="plain">plain</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="truth">truth</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="told">told</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="backyard">backyard</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="everyday">everyday</span> <span word="plants">plants</span>, <span word="varieties">varieties</span> <span word="grown">grown</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="wit">wit</span>, <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="special">special</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="truly">truly</span> <span word="blunt">blunt</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Garden">Garden</span>, <span word="here">here</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="adjective">adjective</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="equivalent">equivalent</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="common">common</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="common">common</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="variety">variety</span>”. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="guess">guess</span>, <span word="British">British</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="origin">origin</span>. <span word="Common">Common</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="belong">belong</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="commons">commons</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="commoners">commoners</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="everybody">everybody</span> (<span word="common">common</span> <span word="language">language</span>, <span word="e">e</span>.<span word="g">g</span>.). <span word="Commons">Commons</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Commons">Commons</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="contrast">contrast</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Lords">Lords</span> (<span word="noblemen">noblemen</span>).</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="additional">additional</span> <span word="explanation">explanation</span>, <span word="meanwhile">meanwhile</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="culled">culled</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="usage">usage</span> <span word="website">website</span> (<span word="English">English</span>.<span word="StackExchange">StackExchange</span>.<span word="com">com</span>):</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="derivation">derivation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="gardening">gardening</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="precisely">precisely</span>, <span word="agriculture">agriculture</span>. <span word="Its">Its</span> <span word="original">original</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="said">said</span>, <span word="relates">relates</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="plant">plant</span>, <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="vegetable">vegetable</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="frequently">frequently</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="gardens">gardens</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="on">on</span> “<span word="commons">commons</span>”. (<span word="Historically">Historically</span>, “<span word="commons">commons</span>” <span word="were">were</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="patches">patches</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="grass">grass</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="woodland">woodland</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="rural">rural</span> <span word="villages">villages</span> <span word="designated">designated</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="community">community</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whole">whole</span>.) <span word="If">If</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>” <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="unexceptional">unexceptional</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="abundance">abundance</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="phrase">phrase</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="applied">applied</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="unexceptional">unexceptional</span>.</p>
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