waifs and strays

English

Noun

waifs and strays pl (plural only)

1. Homeless people or animals.
   • 1918, Dora Sigerson Shorter, The Sad Years:

     One thing I must not omit to mention—her passionate love of animals. In the old, good days in Dublin she used to pick up waifs and strays of forlorn doghood and take them to the Dogs' Home. The boys in the street used to shout derision at us: “Go on! wid yer grand hats and ye to be starvin' yer dog!” The sense of humour supported us.

   • 2024 November 25, Hannah J. Davies, “Kaya Scodelario on Skins, scares and sex scenes: ‘I was called an English rose – it really pissed me off’”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     A down-to-earth Londoner […] Scodelario, 32, grew up in a council flat in Islington with her Brazilian mum, where a revolving cast of waifs and strays from the motherland were always welcome.