mixed bag

American  

noun

Informal.

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

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

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mixed bag British  

noun

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

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mixed bag Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of mixed bag

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

V&A East Museum, then, is a mixed bag and largely a missed opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

But a mixed bag of earnings this past week from Amazon.com, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Apple has reinforced the notion that XLK may be the way to go.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

“As expected, today’s refund portal launch is a mixed bag for small businesses,” said Dan Anthony, executive director of the advocacy group We Pay the Tariffs, in a statement.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

However, her England career has been a mixed bag, largely due to disruptive injuries, as well as her high-profile sending off during England's win over Nigeria in the last 16 of the Women's World Cup.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

That was when I collected that extraordinary mixed bag of information which I was wondering yesterday whether to believe or not.

From Simon by Clouston, J. Storer (Joseph Storer)