milk and water

milk-and-water

old-fashioned Weak, insipid, and/or lacking strength or determination. They accused him of having only milk-and-water policies that wouldn't upset either party. The studio refused to let me make anything but a milk-and-water version of the documentary.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

milk and water

feeble, insipid, or mawkish.
See also: and, milk, water
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • milk-and-water
  • fashion
  • (draw the sword and) throw away the scabbard
  • an old fogey/fogy
  • a stuffed shirt
  • (Well,) I'll be durned!
  • a bit of crackling
  • I'll be bound
  • a bad quarter of an hour
References in periodicals archive
Summary: Gaya (Bihar)/ Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 28 (ANI): People in Gaya's Bigha Mohalla have claimed that an idol of Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva, is drinking milk and water.
Locals have been offering milk and water to the idol after a woman claimed that the idol was consuming the milk offered to it.
Islamabad -- The sale of substandard packed milk and water in sealed bottle is at peak across the country including federal capital.
Put the custard powder and sugar in a bowl and add 2 tbsp of the milk and water. Meanwhile, bring the rest of the milk to the boil.
So Graham will bale separately yellow/yellow green, red, blue, white, natural (milk and water bottles), and clear PET or PVC.
He said that there was no standard laboratory in the country to check the milk and water. He pointed out that a petition regarding sale of sub-standard mineral water had been pending with the Lahore High Court (LHC) for past eight years but it could not be decided yet.
Put the custard powder and sugar in a bowl and add 2 tbsp of the milk and water. Meanwhile bring the rest of the milk to the boil.