mixed bags

Good and bad

Mixed bags are collections containing both good and bad elements.

The phrase almost always appears with evaluation—something is a mixed bag when results vary or quality is uneven: The reviews were a mixed bag.

The image is of reaching into a bag without knowing whether you'll pull out something desirable or not.

Related

all sorts · unevenness · potpourri · odds and ends · bits and pieces · mosaic · motley crew · amalgamation · heterogeneity · hit-or-miss · hit and miss · all over the map · inconsistency · mishmash · lucky dip · box of chocolates · patchwork · composite

Opposites
consistency of quality

mixed bagssure things

Guaranteed outcomes

slam dunks · home runs · winners · pure gold · losers

homogeneity

mixed bagscut from the same cloth

Fundamentally alike in nature

uniformity · one-note · uniform · homogeneous · monochromatic

Family

mixed, bags, mix, bag, mixes, mixing, mixer, mixers, unmixed

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G