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”); gallant

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

He shows me how to make a gallimaufry, a stew of diced meat, onion, and vegetables, with mustard, ginger, and vinegar.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline