Humdrum is a reduplicative word that means a boring and monotonous state of being. The “hum” suggests the buzzing sound of boredom, paired with the non sequitur rhyme “drum.” Other phrases that describe general mediocrity include “bored to tears,” “one horse town,” and “as exciting as watching paint dry.”
The word humdrum is an example of grammatical duplication or repetitive rhyme, just like other informal words like itsy-bitsy, okey-dokey, hoity-toity, and namby-pamby. Humdrum actually means a boring, boring or monotonous state of being, with little hope of spontaneity or excitement. Living in a small rural town with very few sources of outside entertainment could easily be described as a humdrum existence. Even a routine factory job or monotonous office position would be considered monotonous. The expression is very similar to the informal word ho-hum, which also describes a dull or boring set of circumstances.
The “hum” in humdrum or ho-hum has long been used to suggest the exaggerated buzzing sound inspired by boredom. Many people emphasize their feelings of boredom by vocalizing a long sigh or a yawn. As with other reduplicative words, the “hum” is paired with a non sequitur rhyme, “drum.” Essentially, living a humdrum lifestyle would naturally lead to the muffled buzz of a yawn. Some sources suggest that the use of the monotone to describe such a boring and ordinary situation can be traced back to at least the 16th century AD. Many popular reduplicating or rhyming slang words can also be traced to the informal speech patterns of commoners during that period of time.
Occasionally the word can be found separated into two parts, hum drum, but this tends to lead the reader to think that there might be an actual drum associated with the etymology. However, it could be argued that the rhyming word “drum” was not chosen at random. Some people drum their fingers or play drum riffs during times of extreme boredom, but there is precious little evidence to support such speculation. There’s also the idea of ”reviving” some excitement in the face of hours of boredom or boredom. Again, there is no official evidence to support any other claim except a satisfying rhyme with “hum.” An actual drum used to combat the effects of boredom has yet to be discovered.
There are other phrases that also cover the same panorama of general mediocrity of the banal. For example, a person might be “bored to tears” while doing a mundane or repetitive task. A rural area with few social or recreational outlets could be described as a ‘one horse town’. A monotonous job is often described as “as exciting as watching paint dry”. An uninteresting movie or book might be described as “ho-hum” or “boring as dish water.” A long, boring day can move “as slowly as molasses”. There are many ways to describe an extremely boring or uninspired existence, and monotonous is just one of them.
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