of all things

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of all things

1. (idiomatic) Especially; more than other things.
2. (idiomatic, often used as a sentence adverb) Surprisingly.

   He reached into his pocket and pulled out, of all things, an ice cream cone.

   Well, of all things! Who would have expected him to propose to her on stage?

   • 2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

     Mother went a little pale. “Preposterous!” she said. “I don’t know what’s got into you!” She fiddled with her bouffant, almost as if she was nervous. “Your father, in a rock band of all things! First that exercise book full of outrageous stories, and now this!”

   • 2024 March 10, David Hytner, “Doku involved at both ends as Liverpool and Manchester City share spoils”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Liverpool needed a break and they got it at the beginning of the second half, from, of all things, a misplaced City pass. Aké was the culprit, undercooking his attempt to go back to Ederson and seeing Núñez steal in. He toed it away from the goalkeeper and was promptly cleaned out by him.

• of all
• of all people
• of all places