sundry

assorted, miscellaneous

TRANSLATION

sundry = verschiedene, diverse — all and sundry = alle miteinander, alle zusammen, samt und sonders

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

“Sometimes I like to start a column by asking myself: should this really be a column that will live on the internet forever, for all and SUNDRY to see? Or is this really an airing of my many neuroses that is better shared privately, with a therapist?”

Arwa Mahdawi — The Guardian (30th December 2024)

“A carer was filmed stealing cash from a 94-year-old man by a hidden police camera set up in his living room… He gave money to his father for ‘SUNDRY items and noticed in October last year that £200 had gone missing, the court heard'. ”

Home News — BBC (8th March 2019)

Did you
know?

sundry
adjective

- several or various; miscellaneous

- including many things of different kinds

Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster


WORD ORIGIN

The word “sundry” comes from Middle English sundri, which itself originates from Old English syndrig, meaning “separate, distinct, special”, which in turn derives from sundor, meaning “apart, separately".

The root goes back to the Proto-Germanic sundrą (meaning "apart" or "special"), which is also the source of German sonder (special).

Over time, its meaning expanded to include "several" or "various," as seen in phrases like "all and sundry," which refers to everyone or all classes of people.

The related word "asunder" (meaning "apart" or "into separate parts") shares the same etymological root.


THE MIX MAKES THE MAGIC

Life is anything but predictable. It's a beautiful mess of different ideas, experiences, and perspectives, and that's what makes it so interesting. Think about a bustling city street – you've got restaurants serving food from all over the world, people speaking different languages, and old buildings standing right next to modern ones. This mix doesn't make the city weaker; it makes it come alive.

In business, the companies that really shake things up are the ones with diverse teams. When people from different backgrounds come together, they often come up with solutions you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. And in our personal lives, having friends from different cultures or fields can open our eyes to new ways of thinking.

Sticking to what's familiar might feel safe, but it's variety that really sparks creativity, which is why we like to offer you sundry OWADs through the week — it's the mix that makes the magic.

Helga & Paul Smith


SYNONYMS

a bit of everything, a little bit of this and that, all and sundry, all kinds of (manner of, sorts of), an array of, assortment, assorted, bits and bobs (and pieces), diverse, diversified, eclectic, etcetera, every man jack, every mother's son, every Tom, Dick, and Harry, everyone, everything, from all walks of life, grab bag, heterogeneous, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, hybridized, it takes all sorts (to make a world), jumble, knickknacks, leavings, leftovers, legion, litter, manifold, many, medley, melee, melange, miscellaneous, miscellany, mixed (bag), mixture, motley crew, multifarious, multitudinous, odds and ends, of all stripes (every description), panoply, patchwork, potpourri, ragbag, something for everyone, sundries, sundried, SUNDRY, sundry items, this and that, variety, various, wide choice


THANKS to Ricardo for suggesting today’s OWAD.

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Their dog welcomes all and SUNDRY with the same enthusiasm, making him the world's worst security system.”


P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D

On evenings and weekends, I research and write your daily OWAD newsletter together with Helga—my lovely wife and coaching partner, and our eagle-eyed daughter, Jennifer.

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Thanks so much,

Paul, Helga, & Jenny Smith


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