whole shooting match

noun

Everything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

“It started raining on their picnic and they had to move the whole shooting match inside.”

Similar
all the marblesbag and baggageeverytangeverything but the galley stoveeverything but the kitchen sinkeverything under the sunfull montyhook
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Meanings

noun
  1. idiomaticEverything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

    It started raining on their picnic and they had to move the whole shooting match inside.

    Synonyms: all the marbles, bag and baggage, everytang, everything but the galley stove, everything but the kitchen sink, everything under the sun, full monty, hook

Synonyms & antonyms

nounEverything; the entire collection, endeavor, or activity.

Similar
all the marblesbag and baggageeverytangeverything but the galley stoveeverything but the kitchen sinkeverything under the sunfull montyhookline and sinkerkit and caboodlelockstock and barrelthe whole bang shootthe whole nine yardsthe workswhole ball of waxwhole hogwhole enchiladawhole kit and caboodlewhole package

Origin

Compare whole shitting match. Perhaps that term is a vulgarization of this term, or this term is a bowdlerization of that term.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

whole shooting match. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whole%20shooting%20match

MLA

“whole shooting match.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whole%20shooting%20match. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whole shooting match,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whole%20shooting%20match.

Source: whole shooting match on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.