all of the above
Every item or option previously listed. While this phrase is often said in casual conversation, it is also used as an answer on multiple choice tests. A: "What happened? Did you get stuck in traffic? Were you late? Was the boss mad?" B: "All of the above! It was a terrible morning." A: "Is Marie is coming over? Will you be studying? Is she staying for dinner?" B: "Geez, why so many questions? Yes, to all of the above!" A: "What did you put as the answer to question three?" B: "'All of the above.' Why, what did you put?"
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all of the above
Also, none of the above. Each one (not any) of the above-named alternatives. For example, Have you decided to quit and announced your decision, or do you want to find another job first?-None of the above . These phrases originated as answers to a multiple-choice question on a test but are now also used colloquially, often as a form of avoiding a direct answer. They use above in the sense of "preceding," a usage dating from the second half of the 1700s.
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.