bitza
n.—Gloss: a thing that has a mixed heritage or is made of an other assortment of different things. Note: Also spelled “bitsa.” Both are shortened forms of “bitzer” or “bitser,” which in turn are contractions of “bits of.” All variants are far more common in English outside North America and can often be found referring to mixed-breed dogs. A 1990’s British television show, “Bitsa,” involved two men making complex projects out of craft supplies, small common objects, and discarded items. «Powering the new Teo is the same engine that saw out the end of last season, the same “old bitza” as Mark likes to call it. Indeed it is an engine with some history amongst the team, containing some of the original components from the very first Ford engine campaigned by Mark’s father Steve in his farewell season in the last 1990’s.» —“Robinson Unveils American-Built Rocket” by Ben Graham in Australia WhoWon.com Oct. 18, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A Kentucky listener says her father often prefaced statements with the phrase I tell you what’s the truth. This regionalism appears in the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English (Bookshop|Amazon). A shorter version is I’ll tell you...
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
The term goes back to at least the 1960s, which is when I first heard it. Then, it was applied to motorcycles made from parts from different manufacturers, not to dogs.
I confirm Roger’s comment and may add that it was (is?) used in Frenglish by mature bike riders such as…me (50 odd years and still riding strong)!
Take care on the slippery autumn roads.
Jacques Lockwood
(Kawa W 650 for want of a Bonnie)