gallimaufry

American  

[gal-uh-maw-free] / ˌgæl əˈmɔ fri /

noun

Chiefly Literary.

plural

gallimaufries

1. a hodgepodge; confused medley; jumble.

   Synonyms:

   omnium-gatherum, miscellany, mixed bag, grab bag, goulash, muddle, mess, welter, tangle, mixture, mishmash, mélange, medley, hotchpotch, hodgepodge, hash, farrago

2. a ragout or hash.

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gallimaufry British  

/ ˌɡælɪˈmɔːfrɪ /

noun

1. a jumble; hotchpotch

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Etymology

Origin of gallimaufry

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French galimafree “kind of sauce or stew,” probably a conflation of galer “to amuse oneself” and Picard dialect mafrer “to gorge oneself” (from Middle Dutch moffelen “to eat, nosh”); see also gallant

Explanation

Use the noun gallimaufry when you're talking about a jumbled mix of things. You might describe your family's traditional Thanksgiving meal as a gallimaufry of Italian, American, and Mexican dishes. Any mishmash of stuff can be called a gallimaufry. You might have a gallimaufry of socks in your drawer, all different colors and sizes and patterns, or a gallimaufry of guests at your birthday party. You could criticize a writer's short story collection as a gallimaufry of pieces, all with different, mismatched moods and styles. Gallimaufry comes from the French galimafrée, "hash or ragout," from the Old French calimafree, "unappetizing stew or sauce."

Example Sentences

On the wall of his study, he keeps a gallimaufry of images—among them Dylan, Freud, David Bowie, his mother, and Brian Eno.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 4, 2019

In the 1980s as in the 1880s, “the rich gallimaufry of fame”, as Barnes writes, was predominantly male.

From The Guardian • Oct. 26, 2019

And last: Once among the devoted perusers In The Post, of the scribblings of Losers, With an effort I tore free From a sad gallimaufry Of literary-substance-abusers.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2015

The creation story behind this journalistic gallimaufry is worthy of an episode of “30 Rock.”

From New York Times • May 7, 2010

But I am a lame gallimaufry and she remains perfect.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver