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. © 2024 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.

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