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I just now used one of my mother's expressions, 'bits and drabs'. Does anyone know where the 'drabs' came from? I did a Search and found that of troy used dribs and drabs, which I have also heard. Dribs...possibly from dribbles? Driblets? What expressions for little pieces do you-all use?
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I, like troy, know the phrase as "dribs and drabs".
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"A little Dab'l do ya"
From a 'Brylcreem' brand hair *goo ad.
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En Español:
un tantito- from the latin tantus, meaning an indefinite quantity, using the ito ending makes it even smaller
un pellizco(pellizquito)- a pinch
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'bits and drabs' ... dribs and drabs
I'm more familiar with the latter of the two, Jackie. It sounds like 'bits and drabs' is a combination of 'bits and pieces' and 'dribs and drabs'.
I use the word 'tad' a lot... or a tad, as the case may be.  I think it's one of those 'hard to apply a quantity to' words. I saw a cooking show last night where the chef tried very unsuccessfully to quantify terms like dash, tad, sprinkle and pinch, for recipes. It seems they are all relative, or contextual ... or sumfin'. 
Hev
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I use bits and pieces, a tad, or just a pinch. My grandmother always said "a tinch", meaning "a tiny pinch". But I must admit to never hearing the phrase "bits and drabs". 
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"bits and drabs" must be a fig-newton of J's imagination.
(just linking threads :)
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I've never used drabs or dribs. But, like Angel, bits and pieces, little bits, pinches, a dash or this or a dash or that, sprinkles, just those things that have already been mentioned.
But it makes me think of mosaics and tessera--other bits of things like that artistic--and dappled sunlight, the light being in spots--and speckles and freckles--pointillism--spots and dots--particles and particulate--grains and sand--pebbles and pimples (ugh!)...
But generally: Just bits and pieces! (And now you've given me drabs! Dribs and drabs! (Since there's a dribble and a drizzle, wonder whether there's a drabble or a drazzle?)
Blotched regards,
WW
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>wonder whether there's a drabble or a drazzle?
don' know 'bout that, dub, but now I'm completely frazzled.
()
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I've always liked smidgen, shortened to smidge
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