What does it mean when someone says odds and ends?

What does it mean when someone says odds and ends?

Definition of odds and ends 1a : miscellaneous articles. b : miscellaneous small matters (as of business) to be attended to. 2 : miscellaneous remnants or leftovers odds and ends of food.

Where did odds and ends originate?

Odds and ends probably derived from an earlier term from the mid-1500s, odd ends, referring to short leftovers from bolts of cloth and then later to short leftovers of any material, such as “odd ends of chain” or “odd ends of lumber.” By the mid-1700's it had morphed into 'odds and ends' and become more generalized, ...

How are odds expressed?

Odds and probability can be expressed in prose via the prepositions to and in: "odds of so many to so many on (or against) [some event]" refers to odds—the ratio of numbers of (equally likely) outcomes in favor and against (or vice versa); "chances of so many [outcomes], in so many [outcomes]" refers to probability—the ...

What does kith and kin mean?

Definition of kith and kin old-fashioned. : friends and relatives They invited all their kith and kin to their new home.

Are of no avail?

Of or having very little or no benefit, efficacy, or effect. We did our best to keep Sarah from finding out about her dad, but it was of no avail. I protested of no avail to keep Jeff in the company.

What do odds of 5 to 1 mean?

It reflects the amount of money bet on a horse; the more money that is invested, the shorter the odds. When horse racing odds are shown in the form of 7-2, 5-1, etc, it expresses the amount of profit to the amount invested. ... Or, if a horse is 1-2, it's $1 profit for every $2 invested, or a total return of $3.

What is kiss and kin?

1. kissing kin - a more or less distant relative; familiar enough to be greeted with a kiss. kissing cousin.

What is a person called who dies for a great cause?

martyr. / (ˈmɑːtə) / noun. a person who suffers death rather than renounce his religious beliefs. a person who suffers greatly or dies for a cause, belief, etc.

What is the meaning of idiom a bitter pill?

Definition of bitter pill : an extreme vexation or humiliation especially : one constituting a punishment, retribution, or unavoidable expedient having to seek his foe's aid was a bitter pill to take.

What is the meaning of odds and ends?

• Definition of odds and ends. 1a : miscellaneous articles. b : miscellaneous small matters (as of business) to be attended to. 2 : miscellaneous remnants or leftovers odds and ends of food.

What does it mean to put everything away except the odds?

• 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.

What is the meaning of odds and sods?

• A racier alternative formulation is odds and sods . odds and ˈends. (British English also odds and ˈsods) (informal) small items that are not valuable or are not part of a larger set: She’s got all kinds of interesting odds and ends on her desk. ♢ I’ve got a few odds and ends (= small jobs) to do before leaving.

Are there any odds and ends in the attic?

• There were lots of odds and ends in the attic, but nothing of real value. I had the whole house cleaned out except for a few odds and ends that you might want to keep. See also: and, end, odds McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. odds and ends