melange

/ˈmɛlæŋ/

Other forms: melanges

Why call it a mixture when it can be a melange? A tricolor vegetable melange makes even carrots, peas, and corn sound like gourmet cuisine. A melange is any combination of anything, but the word always heightens the glamour quotient.

The French have a way of making simple words sound like romantic entreaties of love. Call any random assortment of things a melange, or as it's sometimes spelled, mélange, and voila, you've given it a sparkle that plain old words like combination, mixture, and blend just cannot convey. This word — along with a melange of other attributes, like great bread and pastries, delicious wine, and fine fashion — are all reasons why we love the French. All that accordion music? Not so much.

Definitions of melange

1. noun

   a motley assortment of things
   synonyms: farrago, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag

   type of:

   assortment, medley, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, mixture, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, variety

   a collection containing a variety of sorts of things