the whole shebang


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the whole shebang

The entirety of something, including all things related to it. While I'm in London, I want to see Big Ben, the palace, the whole shebang.
See also: shebang, whole

whole shebang

everything; the whole thing. Mary's all set to give a fancy dinner party. She's got a fine tablecloth, good crystal, and silverware, the whole shebang. How much do you want for the whole shebang?
See also: shebang, whole

whole shebang

Also, whole shooting match. See whole ball of wax.
See also: shebang, whole

the whole shebang

INFORMAL
The whole shebang is every part of something. It was while at the Mad House that Nancy met the man in charge of the whole shebang, Colonel Maurice Buckmaster. You get to dress up: bow tie, fancy shirt, tails, the whole shebang.
See also: shebang, whole

the ˌwhole sheˈbang

(informal) the whole thing; everything: It’s not just a computer we need. We’re going to have to get a printer, a scanner, a CD-writer, the whole shebang.
See also: shebang, whole

the whole shebang

and the whole shooting match (...ʃəˈbæŋ)
n. the whole affair; everything and everyone. (Folksy.) The whole shebang is just about washed up. The boss put an end to the whole shooting match.
See also: shebang, whole

whole shebang, the

The entire structure; the whole business and everything connected with it. The precise meaning of shebang in this phrase has been lost. It dates from mid-nineteenth century America, when it denoted a hut or shack, which makes no sense in the current cliché. Bret Harte used it: “That don’t fetch me even of [sic] he’d chartered the whole shebang” (“The Story of a Mine,” 1877). An alliterative synonym is the whole shooting match (also put as the whole shoot). Originally this meant a shooting competition, a usage dating from the mid-1700s. The addition of whole and the figurative meaning are much newer, dating from the 1900s. Also see kit and caboodle.
See also: whole
References in classic literature ?
the cards that were given them; and Luck, the monstrous, mad-god thing, the owner of the whole shebang, looked on and grinned.
View in context
But if going commando is a step too far then the Shibue will ensure they don't show the whole shebang.
A flash in the pants heading to our shores
Add in that the whole shebang is so expensive and you've got a recipe for a break-up.
Fear of mistletoe & whine at Xmas
THE X FACTOR IT hasn't exactly been a vintage year when it comes to acts but the whole shebang comes to a head this weekend.
ON THE UP; DOWN
ThE x fACTOR f IT hasn't exactly been a vintage year when it comes to acts but the whole shebang comes to a head this weekend.
ON THE UP DOwn
If you like to keep things cool and classy, use your bright colours as an accent rather than the whole shebang.
Shades for when the sun shines
The Bairds throw their doors open for Beth's unpredictable sister Caroline, their son and his outlandish partner, friends Colin and Cathy, and their Norwegian neighbours Henning and Nina - who must be bewildered by the whole shebang.
TV CHOICE
The Bairds throw their doors open for Beth's sister Caroline, their son and his outlandish partner, friends Colin and Cathy, and their Norwegian neighbours Henning and Nina - who must be slightly bewildered by the whole shebang.
TUESDAY'S TV 31.12.13
But the whole shebang kicks off in rather more traditional fashion as Katie Derham presents an evening of music on a sea-inspired theme by English composers Vaughan Williams and Britten.
TV CHOICE
The last, and perhaps most important addition to the whole shebang is that the app now allows selecting an album to upload photos to.
Facebook updates its iOS app as well
Hazel Irvine and Rishi Persad present the whole shebang, and there's wry anecdotes and reflections on the way the game is progressing from those who know exactly what it feels like to compete in the famous Sheffield Crucible Theatre: snooker greats, Steve Davis, John Parrott and Stephen Hendry.
WHAT TO WATCH
There's a slightly ragged sound about the whole shebang, a sense that each song is rocking on the edge of some precipice, but it all lands well.
Awkward pause
No doubt the whole shebang could be improved, but this whole "failure" nonsense is being cooked up by "my-club-is-better-than-yours" old-schoolers who would happily take us backwards to the bad old days of bankrupt clubs filled with old-time overseas hangers-on.
YOUR VERDICT ON THE WEEK'S
Ever since, I have wondered if his decision was legal; and if it wasn't, could the "election" result be deemed invalid, with the whole shebang having to be re-run, in which case I too would have voted against.
I don't want GB broken up; VIEWPOINTS
And here to jumpstart the whole shebang," chortled the BBC's oppressively genial host Terry Wogan.
NEEDY BUT WEEDY
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