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

One key takeaway from the nearly completed first-quarter earnings season is that companies catering to well-heeled shoppers have done well, while the rest are a bit of a mixed bag.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

American consumers are still spending thanks to higher-than-usual tax refunds, but a mixed bag of economic data shows that they might finally be starting to slow down.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

April is notorious for brining a mixed bag of unpredictable weather and this week has been a real example of that.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 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

Naturally, in a mixed bag such as this, one can't complain if the quality of the contents varies.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 24, 1917 by Various