grab bag
Definition
- Noun:
- A container from which a person draws a wrapped item at random without knowing the contents: A "grab bag" is a bag, box, or other container filled with wrapped, surprise items. Participants pay for the chance to reach in and select one item without knowing what it is beforehand. This is common at fairs, parties, or fundraisers.
- An assortment of miscellaneous items: Figuratively, a "grab bag" refers to any random or varied collection of different things, often with no clear unifying theme.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Literal):
- The school carnival had a grab bag where you could win a small toy for a dollar.
- She reached into the grab bag and pulled out a beautifully wrapped mystery gift.
- Noun (Figurative):
- The conference schedule was a real grab bag of topics, from technology to ancient history.
- His latest album is a grab bag of musical styles, blending jazz, rock, and folk.
Advanced Usage
- "to be a real grab bag": Used to describe something that is highly unpredictable or contains a very wide variety of elements.
- The thrift store's inventory is always a real grab bag—you never know what you'll find.
Variants and Related Words
- Lucky Dip (noun, chiefly British): A synonym for the literal meaning of a "grab bag" as a container of surprise items.
- Assortment (noun): A general collection of various kinds of things.
- Potpourri (noun): A mixture or medley of various items, often used similarly to the figurative "grab bag."
Synonyms
- Miscellany: A collection of various items, especially literary works.
- Hodgepodge: A confused mixture; a jumble.
- Mixed bag: Something composed of a variety of different and often unrelated elements.
Related Idioms
- A mixed bag: Very similar in meaning to the figurative use of "grab bag," indicating something with both good and bad, or varied, qualities.
- The reviews for the new film were a real mixed bag.
Noun
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a container from which a person draws a wrapped item at random without knowing the contents
-
an assortment of miscellaneous items
