bromides

n. compound of bromine that was formerly used as a sedative (Chemistry); trite and uncreative remark or hackneyed notion; cliché; ordinary person; boring person (Slang)

A bromide ion is a bromine atom with charge of −1.Compounds with bromine in formal oxidation state −1 are called bromides. This can include ionic compounds such as caesium bromide or covalent compounds such as sulfur dibromide. Bromide compounds, especially potassium bromide, were frequently used as sedatives in the 19th and early 20th century. This gave the word "bromide" its colloquial connotation of a boring cliché, a bit of conventional wisdom overused as a sedative.
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n. bromide, compound of bromine formerly used as a sedative (Chemistry)

Noun
1. any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; used as a sedative
(hypernym) halide
(hyponym) hydrogen bromide
2. a trite or obvious remark
(synonym) platitude, cliche, banality, commonplace
(hypernym) remark, comment
3. a sedative in the form of sodium or potassium bromide
(hypernym) sedative, sedative drug, depressant, downer