# whole shebang

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/whole-shebang
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Everything; the entire thing.

## Examples

- I want the whole shebang for my birthday party.
- We bought the house, the furniture, and the garden tools—the whole shebang.
- After the merger, the new owners insisted on auditing the entire company, including the accounts, the staff, and the whole shebang.

## Origin

The term emerged in the United States in the early 1860s as a fixed expression derived from shebang. Since its first appearance, this expanded form has increasingly dominated use, eventually displacing the shorter noun in common parlance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.