What Does “everything but the kitchen sink” mean?
Definition:
The phrase everything but the kitchen sink refers to everything imaginable.
Origin
The phrase is hyperbolic and somewhat humorous. It dates back to the 20th century. In World War II, it was used as military slang in reference to the strong bombardment in which the enemy fired everything they had except the kitchen sink.
The expression “everything but the kitchen sink” is a funny way of stating everything remotely imaginable. The sink is the most difficult to remove in a kitchen as it is big and connected by plumbing.
The phrase may have existed before 1944 but it was popularized in World War II. A variant of the phrase was recorded before World War II:
– “Everything but the kitchen stove.”
An alternative phrase with similar meaning:
– “Everything under the sun.”
Example(s)
She must have brought everything but the kitchen sink along on the trip, and I do not know how she could lift her suitcase.
He bought a cell phone that has everything but the kitchen sink.
She was so furious that she threw everything but the kitchen sink at him.
