Make Your Point: ODDMENT

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ODDMENT

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

pronounce ODDMENT:

ODD ment

connect this word to others:

Oddments are bits, scraps, pieces, knickknacks, remnants, sundries, or fl__s_m (random doodads that remind you of bits of floating wreckage).

Of all those synonyms, I'm most amused by oddments. It's just funny by itself, plus it features in a hilarious scene from the first Harry Potter book:

"Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

"Yes, and here they are: Nitwit. Blubber. Oddment. Tweak. Thank you."

(Source)

Apparently the humor didn't play out on screen as well as it did in the book, so they cut it from the movie. Such a shame!

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

Since the year 1780 or so, we've used the funny little word "oddment" to label any random object, especially one for sale that really should belong to a set. You'll see plenty of oddments at garage sales, for example.

(Source)

In a broader sense, an oddment can be any strange little thing or idea that seems to have come loose from the set that it belonged to.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind, and we most often use it in the plural: "The attic is packed with old toys, clothes, and oddments."

Very rarely, it's the uncountable kind of noun. For example, Horace Walpole is a "collector of all manner of oddment," according to Architectural Digest.

Other forms:

Just the plural, "oddments."

how to use it:

The word "oddment" is weird, awkward, and a bit rare, so it's perfect for adding a touch of humor and surprise to your description of random doodads.

In a literal sense, oddments can be bits of cloth, lace, leather, décor, kitchenware, clothing, art supplies, etc.

And in a figurative sense, oddments can be facts, quotes, thoughts, memories, and so on.

You could strike a more formal tone by calling those things "oddities." But "oddments" sounds playful.

examples:

"He had to make do with oddments assembled from Lord Lefford's wagons: mail hauberk and coif, a dead knight's gorget, lobstered greaves and gauntlets and pointed steel boots."
— George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones, 1996

"Like some kind of industrious magpie, the designer Anna Sui has spent decades assiduously gathering up shiny oddments from the pop culture landscape and shaping them into a singular career in fashion design."
— Guy Trebay, New York Times, 3 October 2019

has this page helped you understand "oddment"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "oddment" without saying "remnant" or "odds and ends."

try it out:

In the New York Times, Dominique Browning praises a quirky hotel:

"There were books and paintings and oddments scattered about, collections of silver cigar cases, stuffed birds and precious porcelains."

(Source)

I bet you've visited a place like that, with oddments all over the place. If not a hotel, then a restaurant: TGI Fridays and Red Robin come to mind, with their walls packed with cultural oddments.

Do you enjoy hanging out in places like these, or do they get on your nerves? In other words, do you find the oddments entertaining, distracting, or something else entirely?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for May is "Color Your Own Colloquialism."

I’ll give you the outline of a colloquialism, from English or translated from another language, along with its definition, and you create your own version of it. Your version can be goofy, straightforward, or unrepeatable in polite company: just have fun with it! To see the real version of the colloquialism, scroll all the way down.

Try this one today:

Meaning: "Immediate problems distract you from your overall goals."

Outline: "When you're up to your (body part) in (something bad), it's hard to remember that you're there to (do something good)."

review this word:

1. The opposite of an ODDMENT could be

A. a HOMILY (a preachy speech).
B. a PANOPLY (a complete set of something).
C. an ANOMALY (an irregular, unexpected thing).

2. In Return to Oz, Dorothy runs around in the Nome King's lair, trying to rescue her friends who may have been transformed into oddments like _____.

A. tables and chairs
B. pumpkins and squash
C. bowls, lamps, and figurines

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ODDMENT Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to "Make Your Point" for a daily vocabulary boost.

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ODDMENT

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.