pot luck
Bring-a-dish dinner
Pot luck is whatever food happens to be available, especially when offering a meal to an unexpected guest: Stay for dinner—it's just pot luck.
A potluck is a gathering where each person brings a dish to share: We're having a potluck for the office party.
To take pot luck is to accept whatever is offered without knowing what to expect.
Cannot be anticipated
- random selectionChoosing without systematic bias
- grab bagAssorted collection, unexamined
- mixed bagAssortment of varying quality
- hit or missLacking consistent reliability
unplanned · spontaneous · serendipity · surprise · uncertainty · gamble · risk · unknown quantity
Shared meal, random dishes
- covered dishFood in lidded vessel
- buffetSelf-service meal display
- community mealShared dining among neighbors
- church supperCommunal congregation meal
block party · office party · picnic · barbecue · feast · celebration · cookout · social
Mixed collection of things
- hodgepodgeConfused, disorderly mixture
- medleyVaried mixture or blend
- mishmashDisorderly mixture of elements
- smorgasbordVaried self-serve meal
eclectic mix · patchwork · miscellany · array · sampling · range · selection · mixture
Mutual goodwill among companions
- togethernessState of close connection
- bondingForming close connections
- camaraderieGoodwill among companions
- neighborlyFriendly toward those nearby
hospitality · belonging · inclusion · friendship · socializing · mingling · welcoming · communal spirit
Something given to help
- homemadePrepared at one's residence
- casseroleSlow-cooked oven dish
- side dishSecondary food portion
- dessertSweet course after dinner
appetizer · main course · serving dish · recipe · portion · helping · communal · cooperative
unpredictable
Cannot be anticipated
- random selectionChoosing without systematic bias
- grab bagAssorted collection, unexamined
- mixed bagAssortment of varying quality
hit or miss · unplanned · spontaneous · serendipity · surprise · uncertainty · gamble · risk · unknown quantity · happenstance
potluck dinner
Shared meal, random dishes
- covered dishFood in lidded vessel
- buffetSelf-service meal display
- community mealShared dining among neighbors
church supper · block party · office party · picnic · barbecue · feast · celebration · cookout · social · get-together
assortment
Mixed collection of things
- hodgepodgeConfused, disorderly mixture
- medleyVaried mixture or blend
- mishmashDisorderly mixture of elements
smorgasbord · eclectic mix · patchwork · miscellany · array · sampling · range · selection · mixture · combination
fellowship
Mutual goodwill among companions
- togethernessState of close connection
- bondingForming close connections
- camaraderieGoodwill among companions
neighborly · hospitality · belonging · inclusion · friendship · socializing · mingling · welcoming · communal spirit · congregation
contribution
Something given to help
dessert · appetizer · main course · serving dish · recipe · portion · helping · communal · cooperative · potlatch
- chancechance, lottery, dice, randomness, probability
- fundraisingdonation, donations, donor, donors, fundraiser
- potsstockpot, teapot, crockpot, cachepot, cauldron
- luckgood fortune, misfortune, fortune smiles, fortune favors, charmed life
- unpredictableunpredictable, uncertain, unreliable, erratic, inconsistent
pot luckcatering
Supplying prepared meals professionally
banquet · prix fixe menu · set menu · chef's table · tasting menu
pot lucksure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
certainty · curated selection · known quantity · deliberate choice · safe bet
pot, luck, pots, potted, potting, lucky, luckily, unlucky, luckless