shebang

/ʃə'bæɳ/

Thân thiện

The whole shebang is set up for the outdoor concert.

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.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an entire system; used in the phrase `the whole shebang'