mixed bag

noun

Informal.

1. an often unexpected assortment of various things, people, or ideas.

   The concert was a mixed bag of works from three centuries.

mixed bag

noun

1. informal,  something composed of diverse elements, characteristics, people, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of mixed bag¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

A heterogeneous collection of people, items, activities, or the like; an assortment. For example, The school offers a mixed bag of after-school activities—team sports, band practice, a language class. This idiom calls up the image of a sack full of different items. [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Even in farm country, the bailout is seen as a mixed bag.

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Suffice it to say that the grown-ups are also a mixed bag, as sad and selfish as they are concerned and capable of surprising empathy.

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“Will There Ever Be Another You” is a mixed bag; readers must sift through “clods” of ornate prose to pluck nuggets of gold.

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While he described Newsom’s support as a “mixed bag” among the state’s registered voters, DiCamillo pointed to his strength among Democrats.

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This all sounds great on paper, but what ends up on screen is a confusingly mixed bag.

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