hodgepodge

See also: hodge-podge

English

Alternative forms

• hodge-podge
• hotchpotch

Etymology

From Middle English hochepoche, a variation of hochepot, from Old French hochepot, from Middle Dutch hutspot (“beef or mutton cut into small pieces and mixed and boiled together in a pot”), from hotsen, hutsen (“to shake; jog; jolt”) + pot (“pot”), equivalent to hotch +‎ pot. Compare German Low German Hüttspott (“hodgepodge”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhɒd͡ʒˌpɒd͡ʒ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈhɑd͡ʒˌpɑd͡ʒ/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

hodgepodge (countable and uncountable, plural hodgepodges)

1. A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things.

   Synonyms: farrago, melange, mishmash; see also Thesaurus:hodgepodge

   His latest sculpture is a hodgepodge of kitchen clutter and scrap glued together.

   • 1653, Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler

     Man's life is but vain, for 'tis subject to pain, / And sorrow, and short as a bubble; / 'Tis a hodge-podge of business, and money, and care, / And care, and money, and trouble.

2. A confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot.

Translations

collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble

• Afrikaans: mengelmoes
• Bulgarian: сбирщина (bg) f (sbirština), тюрлюгювеч m (tjurljugjuveč)
• Catalan: poti-poti m
• Czech: mišmaš (cs) m
• Dutch: mikmak (nl) m, mengelmoes (nl)
• Esperanto: miksamaso
• Finnish: sekamelska (fi)
• French: salmigondis (fr) m, fatras (fr) m
• Galician: galdrumada f
• Georgian: აჯაფსანდალი (ka) (aǯapsandali)
• German: Sammelsurium (de) n, Mischmasch (de) m, Wust (de) m
• Hungarian: összevisszaság (hu)
• Icelandic: hrærigrautur (is)
• Italian: pot-pourri m, accozzaglia (it) f, zibaldone (it) m, miscuglio (it) m, pasticcio (it) m, pastrocchio (it) m, guazzabuglio (it) m
• Latin: farrāgō f, miscellānea n pl
• Norwegian: sammensurium n, virvar (no) n
• Plautdietsch: Mischmausch f
• Portuguese: miscelânea (pt) f, mistureba f (Brazil), salgalhada f
• Russian: вся́кая вся́чина (ru) f (vsjákaja vsjáčina), мешани́на (ru) f (mešanína)
• Scots: pran
• Scottish Gaelic: sop às gach seid
• Spanish: mezcolanza (es) f, batiburrillo (es) m (colloquial), gatuperio m
• Swedish: sammelsurium (sv) c, salig blandning
• Welsh: cybolfa (cy) f
• Yiddish: מיש־⁠מאַש m (mish-⁠mash)

Verb

hodgepodge (third-person singular simple present hodgepodges, present participle hodgepodging, simple past and past participle hodgepodged)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To move or position in an erratic, disorganised manner.