Idiom
whole shooting match
Meaning
Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I want to buy the whole shooting match.”
“She decides to quit her job and leave the whole shooting match behind.”
“He sold his house, his car, and his furniture, selling the whole shooting match before moving abroad.”
“If you sign up for the premium membership, you get the equipment, the training sessions, and the whole shooting match for one monthly price.”
“We need to plan the catering, the music, and the decorations to finish the whole shooting match before the guests arrive.”
“The new manager decided to reorganize the department, replacing the staff, the software, and the whole shooting match to improve efficiency.”
Examples
simple
“I want to buy the whole shooting match.”
“She decides to quit her job and leave the whole shooting match behind.”
contextual
“He sold his house, his car, and his furniture, selling the whole shooting match before moving abroad.”
“If you sign up for the premium membership, you get the equipment, the training sessions, and the whole shooting match for one monthly price.”
“We need to plan the catering, the music, and the decorations to finish the whole shooting match before the guests arrive.”
complex
“The new manager decided to reorganize the department, replacing the staff, the software, and the whole shooting match to improve efficiency.”
Origin
The origin of the phrase is uncertain, though etymologists suggest a potential relationship with the term whole shitting match. It remains a matter of some debate whether the current expression is a bowdlerisation of the vulgar form, or if the vulgarity is a later corruption of the original. The phrase appears in the early 20th century as a colloquialism for a complete situation or entirety, functioning as a polite alternative to its more coarse counterpart.
Key words
Related idioms
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