grab bag

noun

1. a container or receptacle from which a person at a party or the like draws a gift without knowing what it is.

2. any miscellaneous collection.

grab bag

noun

1. a collection of miscellaneous things

2. a bag or other container from which gifts are drawn at random

Word History and Origins

Origin of grab bag¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Idioms and Phrases

A miscellaneous collection, as in The meeting amounted to a grab bag of petty complaints. This term alludes to a container offered at a party or fair, where one dips in for a party favor or prize without knowing what one will get. [Mid-1800s]