the whole shebang

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

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

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

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

whole shebang

Also, whole shooting match. See whole ball of wax.

See also: shebang, whole

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

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

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer