shebang
/ʃə'bæɳ/
Definition
Noun: 1. An entire system, setup, or collection of things; the whole situation or affair. It is almost always used in the phrase "the whole shebang" to refer to everything involved in a particular matter.
Usage
The word "shebang" is informal and is used to refer comprehensively to a set of items, an organization, or a situation. It emphasizes the entirety of something, often with a sense of it being complex or extensive.
Examples
- When the company was sold, the new owners fired the management, changed the software, and reorganized the whole shebang.
- We're not just renovating the kitchen; we're redoing the plumbing, the wiring, the whole shebang.
- I didn't understand the rules, the strategy, or the whole shebang of the new board game.
Advanced Usage
- "The whole shebang": This is the standard and almost exclusive phrase in which "shebang" is used. It means "everything involved," "the whole thing," or "the entire operation."
- They didn't just fix the leak; they replaced the pipes, the valves, the whole shebang.
Variants and Related Words
- There are no common variants of "shebang" itself. It is a fixed noun used in a set phrase.
Synonyms
- The whole thing: The entire matter or collection.
- The whole kit and caboodle: (Idiomatic, informal) Everything.
- The entire affair: The complete situation.
- The whole works: (Informal) Everything available or involved.
Idioms
- The whole shebang: As defined above, this is the primary idiom containing the word. It functions as a noun phrase.
- After the scandal, the CEO, the board, the whole shebang had to resign.
Noun
-
an entire system; used in the phrase `the whole shebang'
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