a little from column A, a little from column B
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Taking a combination of options or ideas from different sources
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Kết hợp lựa chọn hoặc ý tưởng từ các nguồn khác nhau
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: selecting from multiple categories
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “a little from column A, a little from column B” mean?
Taking a combination of options or ideas from different sources Literally: selecting from multiple categories
Is “a little from column A, a little from column B” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.