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

"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

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.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Salon

The studio was cluttered with art, vinyl records, dumbbells and other odds and ends.

From New York Times