Whitman's sampler

• Whitman sampler, Whitman Sampler, Whitman's Sampler

From the brand name of a popular assortment of boxed chocolates marketed in the US. The company was named after its founder, Stephen Whitman of Philadelphia.

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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”, in 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”, in 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 January 17, John Marshall, “From poets to politicians, a great week for author readings”, in 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?”, in 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.

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

• Whitman samplers