Whitebread

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking sophistication, cultural awareness, or adventurous spirit, typically associated with mainstream or conventional tastes and perspectives
2. Devoid of complexity or depth, typically describing someone or something conforming to mainstream cultural norms and lacking originality or diversity
3. Characterized by an absence of variety or excitement, often applied to individuals who exhibit conventional or unremarkable preferences and attitudes

Etymology: "Whitebread" began as a plain description of food. White bread, made from finely sifted wheat flour with the bran and germ removed, was for centuries the prized loaf, pale and soft, while darker breads were eaten by poorer households. The adjective "whitebread" took on its current sense in American English in the twentieth century, when that refined loaf had become the default supermarket staple. Because white bread was so widely sold and so bland in flavour, people began using it to describe things that seemed safe, conventional, and unadventurous. A "whitebread" person is one who avoids risk, novelty, or anything unfamiliar, much as the loaf avoids the robust tang of rye or sourdough. The word is written here as a single closed compound, though the source treats it as a spelling variant of the two-word "white bread."

Synonyms: bland, ordinary, vanilla

Antonyms: spicy, exciting, colorful