gallimaufry

American  

[gal-uh-maw-free] / ˌgæl əˈmɔ fri /

noun

Chiefly Literary.

gallimaufries plural

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

Gallimaufry is 'Galimathias,' a muddle, or hotch potch.

From Shakespeare and Music With Illustrations from the Music of the 16th and 17th centuries by Naylor, Edward W. (Edward Woodall)

The Hotchpotch or Gallimaufry of the perpetually begging Friars.

From Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 2 by Motteux, Peter Anthony