noun phrase🎓 English idiom

bits and pieces

small, miscellaneous items or fragments

What it means

Bits and pieces are small, scattered items that don't form a single set — odd objects, scraps, or fragments of information. It's a casual term for the kind of mixed contents you'd find in a junk drawer or pull together when packing up.

Examples

  • I packed the big things last night and just have a few bits and pieces left.
  • She kept her sewing bits and pieces in an old biscuit tin.
  • The detective gathered bits and pieces of evidence from the scene.
  • We had bits and pieces of leftovers, so I made a stir-fry.

Where it comes from

A traditional English binomial pairing two near-synonyms ('bit' and 'piece') to emphasise smallness and variety; in wide use since the 1800s.

Related idioms

#odds and ends#wear and tear#ins and outs#ups and downs

🎓 Think you know your idioms?

Take the English Idioms Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.

Take the test

Built by the team behind Deep In.