Word: genericizing
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...second choice reporters have is to pull out one of the numerous generic explanations of why stocks went up or down, as in "blue chips fell as investors took profits," or "investors were looking for issues that have lagged and therefore are cheap," or "investors are concerned their stocks are poised to fall after rising...
...rung above welfare on the nation's "ladder of opportunity." These are people who tiptoe between paychecks and have no savings, who ride the bus to the discount stores, who sell their plasma until their veins scar, who don't bother to clip coupons for Cheerios because the generic version is still cheaper, and who can be wiped out by even a minor medical problem...
...there any immaculate sorority houses with teddy bear wallpaper and plush pink carpets. And there are very few generic college dorms, with long communal hallways, box-like cinder block bedrooms and bathrooms shared by the entire floor...
Although few seem to use the new name except in official documents ("Only freshmen call it Pforzheimer," one resident observed), students are already hearing the new nicknames and teasing. "PfoHo" may replace "No-Ho" as the generic nickname of choice, and "Pforz House" May the Pforz be with you," says Rhee, quoting one of the more popular cooptations of the name...
Somehow the generic portraits do not have quite the same pull. Can you imagine sitting down next to some attractive stranger and trying to start a conversation with, "Hey, that generic-looking white male in that picture sure must've led a worthwhile life to deserve the honor of being displayed in this dining hall!"? You'd be laughed into the dish room! However, if you dropped a line like, "You know, I think the Leverett painting would look so beautiful in flames," you'd be sure to get a formal date...