Shebang

/ʃəˈbæŋ/ noun

Definition

The whole thing; everything involved in a situation—used in phrases like 'the whole shebang' meaning the complete package or entire operation.

Etymology

Origin uncertain, but possibly from Irish 'Shebanagh' or 'se bang' (Irish slang). First appeared in American English in the 1860s. The exact etymology remains one of English's unsolved mysteries.

Kelly Says

Nobody knows for sure where 'shebang' comes from, making it one of language's great mysteries—linguists have debated Irish, German, and onomatopoeia origins for 150 years.

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