Everything but the kitchen sink 💯🚰

Meaning

To include an extremely large and possibly excessive number of things.

Origin

This idiom's roots trace back to the mid-20th century, likely emerging from the practicalities of wartime rationing in Britain. During World War II, when resources were scarce, families were encouraged to make do with whatever they had, and it became a commonplace saying to suggest using absolutely every available item, even those as mundane and fixed as the kitchen sink. The phrase captures the essence of extreme resourcefulness, morphing into a colorful expression for including an absurdly comprehensive list of items.

📅🕰️ 20th 21st century 🗣️ communication 🏆 success

Everything but the kitchen sink represented with emoji💯🚰

This playful arrangement of a hundred points and a faucet functions as a delightful riddle, teaching the viewer to look beyond the literal. It underscores the inventive spirit of emoji, inviting a dialogue on how a simple hundred signifies completion and a faucet represents an accessible source, cleverly evoking the idiom for embracing abundance, no matter how excessive.

Examples

  • She packed everything but the kitchen sink for her weekend trip.
  • The buffet offered everything but the kitchen sink, from sushi to fried chicken.
  • He tried to fix the leaky faucet by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at it, including a rubber chicken.
  • For her birthday party, she invited everyone she had ever met and then threw in everything but the kitchen sink for entertainment.

Frequently asked questions

What's the opposite of 'everything but the kitchen sink'?

The opposite of 'everything but the kitchen sink' is a minimalist approach, focusing only on the absolute essentials. This could be described as 'bare bones' or 'the bare minimum'.

Is 'everything but the kitchen sink' a proverb or an idiom?

'Everything but the kitchen sink' is an idiom, a phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meanings of its words. It's used figuratively to describe an excessive inclusion of items.

Are there specific historical events that popularized 'everything but the kitchen sink'?

While likely emerging from wartime resourcefulness in Britain, the phrase gained wider traction in the mid-20th century, becoming a colorful way to describe comprehensive, sometimes absurdly so, listings of items or actions.

Similar to "everything but the kitchen sink"

The works
Both phrases suggest including a vast amount, but 'the works' feels more like a complete, intended package, whereas 'everything but the kitchen sink' often implies an overwhelming, almost haphazard addition of extras
The whole nine yards
These capture the spirit of going all out, but 'the whole nine yards' hints at a complete and satisfactory effort, while 'everything but the kitchen sink' can suggest an excess that borders on ridiculous
To dot all the i's and cross all the t's
Both speak to thoroughness, but 'dot all the i's...' emphasizes meticulous attention to detail and completeness *within* a task, whereas 'everything but the kitchen sink' is about adding an extreme breadth of unrelated items

Opposite of "everything but the kitchen sink"

Less is more
This aphorism champions restraint and elegance through simplicity, directly challenging the notion of maximalism inherent in 'everything but the kitchen sink' by arguing that fewer, well-chosen elements are superior
Keep it simple, stupid (KISS)
The KISS principle advocates for straightforwardness and efficiency, standing in stark contrast to the potentially overwhelming clutter implied by throwing 'everything but the kitchen sink' into a situation; it argues for clarity over sheer volume
A happy medium
This phrase seeks balance and avoids extremes, opposing the idea of excessive inclusion favored by 'everything but the kitchen sink' by advocating for a sensible, moderate approach

Related to "everything but the kitchen sink"

A dog's breakfast
This idiom describes a mess or muddle, often created by trying to combine too many disparate elements, much like the potential outcome of throwing 'everything but the kitchen sink' at a problem
A wild goose chase
While 'everything but the kitchen sink' focuses on the overwhelming *inclusion* of things, a wild goose chase describes a futile pursuit of an impossible or elusive goal, suggesting a different kind of excessive effort
A mixed bag
This phrase describes a collection of varied items or qualities, some good and some bad, linking to the sheer variety implied by 'everything but the kitchen sink' but with an added layer of unpredictability
To throw the baby out with the bathwater
This cautionary phrase warns against discarding the essential along with the superfluous, a potential risk when one is so focused on including *everything*, as in 'everything but the kitchen sink'