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This reference covers the phrase “Soup to Nuts,” exploring its meaning, examples, and alternatives. It’s an idiom in American culture that might sound like it refers to food but often means something else entirely. If you’re curious about what “Soup to Nuts” actually signifies, you will find detailed explanations, including the origin, example sentences, and alternative expressions. With clear and concise sections, this reference provides a thorough understanding of how to use “Soup to Nuts” in various contexts.
“Soup to Nuts” Meaning, Origin and Usage
Key Takeaways
- The phrase “soup to nuts” means from beginning to end or covering everything from start to finish. It originates from traditional multi-course meals that start with soup and end with nuts for dessert, representing a complete or thorough process.
“Soup To Nuts” Meaning
The phrase “soup to nuts” means encompassing the entirety of something, from the beginning to the end. It implies covering all aspects or stages of a process, project, or experience. The expression is often used to indicate that a particular service, event, or process includes everything that is necessary.
Examples:
- “The event was well-organized, covering everything from soup to nuts.”
- “Our service offers a complete solution, providing everything from soup to nuts.”
Origin of This idiomatic Phrase
The phrase “soup to nuts” appears to have first been used in America in the 1920s. However, the phrase existed in Latin long before this and has been said in many different other ways over time including “from eggs to apples” and “from soda to hock.” These were older synonyms of the phrase “soup to nuts,” which is the phrase that became the most popular. The phrase derived from the serving of a full course meal which typically began with some type of soup and ended with a dessert containing nuts.
Usage of “Soup To Nuts”
- In a business context:
“We handled the event soup to nuts, from organizing the venue to coordinating the catering and entertainment.”
- Talking about a project:
“The new software was developed soup to nuts by our in-house team, including design, coding, and testing.”
- Describing a complete process:
“She planned the wedding soup to nuts, making sure every detail, from the invitations to the thank-you cards, was perfect.”
- In a personal context:
“He remodeled his house soup to nuts, doing everything from tearing down walls to selecting new furniture.”
Related Terms to “Soup To Nuts”
- From start to finish – indicating the entire process from beginning to end.
- All-inclusive – covering all aspects or parts without exception.
- Complete package – a set that includes everything needed or expected.
- A to Z – signifying everything from the beginning to the end; all elements involved.
- Whole nine yards – an expression meaning the whole thing or everything that is required.
- Everything but the kitchen sink – indicating that nearly everything possible has been included or considered.
- Full spectrum – covering all ranges or aspects of something.
- All-encompassing – including everything within a certain scope or category.
- Total package – a complete set of features or offerings.
- Comprehensive – thorough and covering all or nearly all elements or aspects.
Alternatives to “Soup To Nuts”
The phrase “soup to nuts” can be replaced in conversation with several different words or phrases that are synonymous with this helpful idiom. Some of the other phrases you could use include:
- From start to finish
- From beginning to end
- Blow-by-blow
- From head to toe
- From a to z
“Soup To Nuts” Examples
Example Sentences
- Evelyn knows everything about the situation from soup to nuts.
- I asked my kids what happened and they told me everything from soup to nuts.
- It looks like she brought everything from soup to nuts.
- They supply the fisherman with everything from soup to nuts.
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It would be a good idea to follow the process from soup to nuts.
- They also want a consultant who can handle everything from soup to nuts.
- We looked at everything from soup to nuts.
- “I did it all, from soup to nuts, ” he says.
Example Conversations
A discussion between mother and son.
- Son: So I had my first date with Kat last night.
- Mother: How did it go?
- Son: It was awesome!
- Mother: Tell me everything from soup to nuts!
A discussion between co-workers.
- Co-worker 1: Paul worked on the project from soup to nuts.
- Co-worker 2: So he would be the person to go to if I had questions?
- Co-worker 1: Absolutely! He would have all the answers you are looking for.
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