CONVENTIONAL
ADJECTIVES
1375 ► PURSUAND that follows convention or conforms to approved standards; suitable, proper → obs.
1823 ► STARCHY said of someone who is very conventional or stiff → sl., orig. US
1894 ► STODGY excessively conventional and formal → colloq.
..20C ► CHICKEN strictly conventional in conduct; following rules too closely, esp. Army; misusing authority; petty, mean → US sl.
1906 ► BROMIDIC conventional or commonplace → sl.
1936 ► STICK-IN-THE-MUDDISH conventional, conservative → sl.
1946 ► SQUARE conventional, conservative → sl., orig. US
1959 ► BUTTON-DOWN having or characteristic of a conventional or conservative attitude or appearance; staid, formal, repressed → US
1960 ► BUTTONED-DOWN having or characteristic of a conventional or conservative attitude or appearance; staid, formal, repressed → US
1960 ► STRAIGHT conventional, conservative → sl., orig. US
1960 ► WAY-IN conventional, conservative → sl.
1961 ► MUMSY motherly, homely, conventional → colloq.
1970 ► BURBED-OUT conventional → US middle-class usage
1980 ► WHITE BREADY conventional; bourgeois → sl.
1980 ► WHITE-BREAD conventional; bourgeois → sl.
1980 ► WONDER BREAD conventional → Amer. sl.
1990 ► MUM AND DAD conventional, respectable, and thus, by criminal standards, naive → Aust. sl.
NOUNS
1956 ► SQUARESVILLE → SQUAREVILLE a conventional place or institution → sl., orig. US
1959 ► CUBESVILLE a conventional place or institution → sl., orig. US
1967 ► GAME a conventional attitude → UK sl.
NOUNS, PERSON
1733 ► STICK-IN-THE-MUD a conventional person; someone unprogressive or unadventurous
1830 ► GIGMAN a conventional, narrow-minded member of the middle class, who views ‘respectability’ as the chief concern of life
1831 ► GIGMANESS a conventional, narrow-minded female member of the middle class, who views ‘respectability’ as the chief concern of life
1878 ► MOSSBACK a conventional person → chiefly N. Amer.
1878 ► MOSSY-BACK a conventional person → chiefly N. Amer.
1909 ► BROMIDE a person whose thoughts and conversation are conventional and commonplace → sl., orig. US
1920 ► MIDDLEBROW a person of conventional tastes and interests in matters of culture; a moderately cultivated person → colloq.
1923 ► BABBITT a conventional person; a conformist → Amer. sl.
1930 ► ICKY a conventional person → African-American sl.
1934 ► SQUARE JOHN a conventional person → Amer. sl.
1936 ► HOORAY → HOORAY HENRY a conventional, upper-class young man who is fashionable and extroverted → Brit. sl., derogatory
1938 ► SQUARE FROM DELAWARE a conventional, naive person → US sl.
1944 ► SQUARE a conventional person → sl., orig. US jazz usage
1953 ► SQUARE SAM a conventional, exceedingly honest, upright person → US sl.
1957 ► CUBE an extremely conventional or conservative person → sl., orig. US
1961 ► HIP-SQUARE a conventional person who at moments adopts the drapings of the jazz lifestyle without fully embracing it → US sl.
1967 ► NATURAL a conventional person → Brit. beatniks’ usage
1970 ► DUSTY BREAD a conventional, conservative woman → African-American sl.
1971 ► DULLHEAD a conventional or dull person → US sl.
1971 ► HERBIE a person who is very conventional in attitude; an unsophisticated person; one who has no knowledge of street life → US sl.
1972 ► HEP SQUARE a person who lives a conventional life but has some awareness of unconventional lifestyles → US sl.
1983 ► NORM a conventional, dull person → US sl.
1983 ► NORMAL a conventional, dull person → US sl.
1986 ► SQUARE JANE a conventional, naive woman → US sl.
1990 ► VANILLA WAFER a very conventional man → US sl.
VERBS
1913 ► HOLD CLOSE TO THE WILLOWS to be conventional, conservative, or modest → Amer. dial.
1967 ► HAVE A STICK UP ONE’S ASS to be extremely convention or rigid; to be inflexible, strict, or strait-laced
2001 ► NORM to behave in a convention or unremarkable manner → UK sl.
Lexicophilia 