bricolage (bree-kuh-LAHZH, brik-uh-LAHZH) - n., construction using of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things.
So the act or the result. This can be physical or abstract -- a mixed-medium artwork or a hodgepodge hypothesis. Or a dinner of multiple leftovers. Adopted in the 1960s in art from French bricolage, do-it-yourself project, from bricoler, to do odd jobs/small chores/make improvised repairs (also the source for French bricoleur, jack-of-all-trades), from Middle French bricoler, to zigzag/bounce off, at which point the trail gets more hazy: one suggestion is from ultimately from Old French bricole, a trifle; another, from Old French bricole, catapult, from Old Italian briccola, in turn either from Old Italian briccola, possibly from alteration of Langobardic *brihhil, breaker/smasher, or from bricco, billy goat/young male donkey, from Latin burrīcus, small horse. Making this a etymology a bricolage. Whew!
---L.
So the act or the result. This can be physical or abstract -- a mixed-medium artwork or a hodgepodge hypothesis. Or a dinner of multiple leftovers. Adopted in the 1960s in art from French bricolage, do-it-yourself project, from bricoler, to do odd jobs/small chores/make improvised repairs (also the source for French bricoleur, jack-of-all-trades), from Middle French bricoler, to zigzag/bounce off, at which point the trail gets more hazy: one suggestion is from ultimately from Old French bricole, a trifle; another, from Old French bricole, catapult, from Old Italian briccola, in turn either from Old Italian briccola, possibly from alteration of Langobardic *brihhil, breaker/smasher, or from bricco, billy goat/young male donkey, from Latin burrīcus, small horse. Making this a etymology a bricolage. Whew!
---L.