English

Alternative forms

• Whitman sampler, Whitman Sampler, Whitman's Sampler

Noun

Whitman's sampler ‎(plural Whitman's samplers)

1. (US, idiomatic) A diverse collection.
   • 2005 March 18, Richard Harrington, "Lend Them Your Ears: Breaking Stories From the Music Scene," Washington Post (retrieved 8 July 2014):

     So here we go, offering a Whitman's Sampler of local talent, just a hint of the multitude of hopeful artists working their way toward the spotlight.

   • 2006 July 9, "Talk Show," Businessweek (retrieved 8 July 2014):

     In a June 13 court filing, plaintiffs cite the memo as one of "a Whitman's Sampler" of V&E papers showing that the firm "was present at the creation, active throughout and still in on [Enron's] fraudulent scheme when it finally collapsed."

   • 2008 Jan. 17, John Marshall, "From poets to politicians, a great week for author readings," Seattle Post-Intelligencer (retrieved 8 July 2014):

     Witness just this Whitman's Sampler of sweet author treats: The first female secretary of state (Madeleine Albright). A perennial best-seller and an Oprah pick (Sue Miller). A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (Muhammad Yunus). Three local black poets (Colleen J. McElroy, Gloria Burgess, Lauri Conner). A humor writer for "Saturday Night Live" and The New Yorker, turned best-selling debut novelist (Patricia Marx).

   • 2009 July 18, David Segal, "A Matter of Opinion?," New York Times (retrieved 8 July 2014):

     Dozens of investors have filed lawsuits seeking redress from the rating agencies, contending that the companies bear responsibility for investors’ losses, under a Whitman’s sampler of theories.

Synonyms

• assortment, collection, diversity, melange, miscellany, smorgasbord
• See also wikisaurus:hodgepodge