odds and ends

American  

noun

1. miscellaneous items, matters, etc.

2. fragments; remnants; scraps; bits.

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odds and ends British  

plural noun

1. miscellaneous items or articles

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odds and ends Idioms  

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of odds and ends

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

Turning the odds and ends of vegetables—peels, stems, bruised bits—into a fragrant stock that makes even weeknight soup feel luxurious.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

About eight years ago she launched a series of Instagram videos in which she whips up meals using leftovers and other odds and ends she finds in her fridge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

"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.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2025

“It’s a little...brief,” Jessie said as she sifted through a box of odds and ends she had picked up over the years.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser