this and that

Idioms  

1. Also, this, that, and the other. Various miscellaneous items, one thing and another, as in He said this and that about the budget, but nothing new or of great substance, or We spent all evening chatting about this, that, and the other. The first idiom was first recorded in 1581; the variant dates from the early 1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

this and that

“In a world of nationalism and tribalism, of this and that, us and them,” Mr. Basciano tells us, treatment of leprosy “was a crime—but leprosy also gave space in which empathy and solidarity grew.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The Walt Disney Concert Hall shop has become a Dudamel-torium, aisles bursting with Gustavo T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, refrigerator magnets and this and that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

There’s another piece of this, and that is democracy itself.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

"For 14 years, people have been holding us to this and that letter proves to us that people know something," she said.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

She busied herself with this and that, trying to salvage some dignity.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• odds and ends