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Hodgepodge vs Motley - What's the difference?

hodgepodge | motley |

As nouns the difference between hodgepodge and motley

is that hodgepodge is a collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble while motley is an incongruous mixture.

As an adjective motley is

comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous.

hodgepodge

English

Alternative forms

* hodge-podge

Noun

  • A collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble.
    • His latest sculpture is a hodgepodge''' of kitchen clutter and scrap glued together. In fact, all his recent pieces have been similar '''hodgepodges .
  • * 1653, Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler
    • Man's life is but vain, for 'tis subject to pain, / And sorrow, and short as a bubble; / 'Tis a hodge-podge of business, and money, and care, / And care, and money, and trouble.

    Synonyms

    * farrago, hotchpotch, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag * See also

    motley

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity; heterogeneous.
  • *
  • *:Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
  • Having many colours; variegated.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An incongruous mixture.
  • A jester's multicoloured clothes.
  • (by extension) A jester; a fool.
  • * 1598 , , III. iii. 71:
    • Will you be married, motley ?
  • * 1609 , :
    • Alas, 'tis true, I have gone here and there, / And made myself a motley to the view,