this and that

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Naturally, we spend much of our time telling over this-and-that of our adventures.

From Project Gutenberg

Mademoiselle So-and-so, Miss This-and-that,—we'll arrange all that.

From Project Gutenberg

At home the Chief says rapidly, "Send a wire to So-and-so telling him this-and-that."

From Project Gutenberg

And there were some this-and-that and be-damned-to-em people who would never get this inventionthe dirty, thieving rats!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• odds and ends