odds and ends

noun

1. miscellaneous items, matters, etc.

2. fragments; remnants; scraps; bits.

odds and ends

plural noun

1. miscellaneous items or articles

Word History and Origins

Origin of odds and ends¹

First recorded in 1740–50

Idioms and Phrases

Miscellaneous items, fragments and remnants, as in I've finished putting everything away, except for a few odds and ends. This expression may have originated as odd ends in the mid-1500s, meaning “short leftovers of some material” (such as lumber or cloth). It had acquired its present form and meaning by the mid-1700s.

Example Sentences

During the last week of his first term, reporters — myself included — witnessed his staff walking out with all sorts of odds and ends, including but not limited to paintings, other art work and office furnishings.

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"Small independents like myself are only allowed to order from a list of random mismatched odds and ends that the big shops clearly didn't want," she said.

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Yet when tucked into the contemporary olive bar’s curated mix of marinated odds and ends, they become an edible time capsule of peak summer, waiting to be put back to work.

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“We have outtakes, and some odds and ends, but there’s nothing new,” counters McIntosh.

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But there’s joy in piecing together meals from odds and ends in the pantry.

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