Question

From Soup to Nuts the whole thing from beginning to end

Accepted Answer

We've got acts in this talent show from soup to nuts: jugglers, acrobats, singers, magicians, tap dancers, you name it! For centuries any foods served at the beginning or end of a meal stood for the entire thing: the start and finish and everything in between. This expression was "from eggs to apples" and "from pottage to cheese." In the United States, in the middle of the 20th century, the expression developed into "from soup to nuts." At many meals, soup is often the first course and a dessert with nuts is sometimes the last. The expression docs not have to refer only to meals, however. It could be the selection of goods for sale or classes offered.

Idiom	From Soup to Nuts
Example	We've got acts in this talent show from soup to nuts: jugglers, acrobats, singers, magicians, tap dancers, you name it!
Meaning	the whole thing from beginning to end
Origin	For centuries any foods served at the beginning or end of a meal stood for the entire thing: the start and finish and everything in between. This expression was "from eggs to apples" and "from pottage to cheese." In the United States, in the middle of the 20th century, the expression developed into "from soup to nuts." At many meals, soup is often the first course and a dessert with nuts is sometimes the last. The expression docs not have to refer only to meals, however. It could be the selection of goods for sale or classes offered.

Soup Nuts Expression Beginning End Meals Acts Talent