bits and pieces

Meanings

1. 1phrasepluralinformal

   Small, assorted objects or items of various kinds, often of little value or not belonging together.

   Grammar: Takes a plural verb: the bits and pieces were scattered.

   Patterns

   • bits and pieces of something
   • collect bits and pieces

   The drawer was full of bits and pieces from old projects.

   She packed her bits and pieces and left.

   He sells bits and pieces at the weekend market.

2. 2phrasepluralinformal

   Small separate parts of a larger whole, such as information or tasks.

   Grammar: Used for fragments of news or work: bits and pieces of the story.

   Patterns

   • pick up bits and pieces
   • in bits and pieces

   I only heard bits and pieces of the argument.

   She learned the language in bits and pieces.

   The report came together in bits and pieces.

Common combinations

pick up bits and pieces

He picked up bits and pieces of French while traveling.

odd bits and pieces

The attic held odd bits and pieces.

bits and pieces of information

We found bits and pieces of information online.

gather bits and pieces

She gathered bits and pieces for the craft project.

in bits and pieces

The story came out in bits and pieces.

Synonyms and how they differ

odds and ends

Odds and ends stresses leftover miscellaneous items, with little suggestion of parts of a whole.

bric-a-brac

Bric-a-brac means small decorative objects, more specific than bits and pieces.

fragments

Fragments suggests broken parts of something once whole, and is more formal.

bits and bobs

Bits and bobs is a British informal variant with the same sense.

Opposites

Word family

bit noun

a small piece or amount

piece noun

a part cut or broken from a whole

piecemeal adverb

a little at a time

bits noun

small parts

Commonly confused: bits and pieces or bits and bytes?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bits and pieces”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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