smorgasbord
noun
- a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (such as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes)
- prison sentence in excess of 10 years
- an often large heterogeneous mixture : mélange
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/ / /ˈsmɔːɡəs(ˌ)bɔːd/ / /ˈsmɜːɡəs(ˌ)bɔːd/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of milk when churned.
- A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.
“In the middle of the saloon they observed a small table set out with little dishes, containing bread and butter, sardines, pickled herrings, cheese, large baskets filled with rye biscuit, dark and untempting to Mabel's English eye, and the never failing brandy. Gathered around the smorgasbord were all the Swedes talking and eating most earnestly (all standing).”
“In carrying out the Swedish luxury theme, tasty Scandinavian food will be served from the Stratocruiser galley. The lower-deck cocktail bar will feature smorgasbord snacks and drinks.”
- An abundant and diverse collection of things.
““Every time you went into the library,” said the book, “the Creator of the Universe held His breath. With such a higgledy-piggledy cultural smorgasbord before you, what would you, with your free will, choose?””
“If you have an appetite for education statistics, consider the above an appetizer for the smorgasbord you'll find in the Digest of Education Statistics 1990.”