whole enchilada

the whole enchilada

slang Every part of a multifaceted thing or situation taken together as a whole; the whole thing. Building up an entertainment system from scratch sounds good, but buying the whole enchilada in one shot is much more convenient. If you sign up today, you can get the whole enchilada for just $2,000.
See also: enchilada, whole
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

whole enchilada

Inf. the whole thing; everything. (From Spanish.) Nobody, but nobody, ever gets the whole enchilada. Richard wants the whole enchilada.
See also: enchilada, whole
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

the whole enchilada

AMERICAN, INFORMAL
If you describe something as the whole enchilada, you mean that it is as complete or extreme as possible. We should bomb them, send in the Marines — the whole enchilada. Consumers who want this software can download the whole enchilada from their website. Note: The usual British expression is the whole caboodle.
See also: enchilada, whole
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the whole enchilada

the whole situation; everything. North American informal
1992 New York Times High-tech gadgetry is best viewed as the spice, but not the whole enchilada.
An enchilada is an American Spanish word for a tortilla served with chilli sauce and a filling of meat or cheese.
See also: enchilada, whole
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the whole enchiˈlada

(American English, informal) the whole situation; everything: We had a great time on vacation, and it only cost us $500 for the whole enchilada.
An enchilada is a Mexican dish with meat and a spicy sauce.
See also: enchilada, whole
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the whole enchilada

(...ɛntʃəˈlɑdə)
n. the whole thing; everything. (From Spanish.) Pete wants the whole enchilada.
See also: enchilada, whole
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

whole enchilada

The entirety of something; everything.
See also: enchilada, whole
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • the whole enchilada
  • tell me about it
  • if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is a duck
  • quack
  • have a thing
  • hair and hide
  • far be it from
  • far be it from me
  • far be it from me to
  • far be it from one to
References in periodicals archive
But new technology will make it easier for cable operators to accommodate the whole enchilada, says Grey Moyer, general manager of the Voom HD Networks.
Hi-def world catches up to Cuban
Or go for the whole enchilada with the Ultimate Pilot Experience, which carries you 92 miles along the Sacramento River from Sacramento to San Francisco and includes an introductory flying lesson.
What to do in Northern California May
CLINTON - By spelling it right, she got the whole enchilada. Sarah Perez, a seventh-grader at the Clinton Middle School, was the winner of the school's 6th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, held Wednesday at the school.
7th-grader wraps up a w-i-n
Our community told me they wanted the whole enchilada. They wanted to win."
Straight talk wins in Arizona: want to get straight people to vote against an antigay ballot initiative? Make it all about them
It was everything, the whole enchilada. A feat of oratory, intelligence and some wit that shocked everyone."
Managers call truce over war of words
However, Murray points out that his group is not just into engineering a lightweight part, but the whole enchilada. "The last two years at McLaren when Ben and Graham were my two senior engineers, we had what were called 'advanced concepts' which studied how to bring composites to the high-volume market.
Creating a supercar for the real world--as a start
These models are: (1) "The Whole Enchilada," the most direct and aggressive approach in which the federal government creates and enforces national standards and assessments, replacing the current 50 state-level sets of standards and tests; (2) "If You Build It, They Will Come," a voluntary version of the first model--The government would develop national standards, tests and accountability metrics, and provide incentives to states to opt into such a system.
To Dream the Impossible Dream: Four Approaches to National Standards and Tests for America's Schools
Then a San Francisco investment firm that already owns 10 percent of the company's stock said it would make good on an earlier threat to try to buy the whole enchilada. And Charles Morgan, the "company leader"--that's Acxiom-speak for CEO--told employees that ValueAct's offer to pay at least $23 for every outstanding share "does not mean Acxiom is for sale."
Au contraire!
And think about, in your wildest dreams, the odds you could have received if you had bet, on the morning after the Yankees won their third game, that the Sox would win eight straight games to take both the league championship and the whole enchilada that Major League Baseball humbly calls the World Series.
Class act all around
This left me with the whole enchilada. At 66, I'm bumping up against my physical limitations, but work around them as best I can.
Single, elderly, and making do
had to accept "the whole enchilada, or nothing." The Bush administration has dutifully worked to meet that nation's demands--without exacting anything from Mexico in return.
Amnesty and betrayal: president Bush's proposed immigration reform package is a shocking betrayal of our nation's sovereignty, culture and economy. It must not be allowed to pass
With the economy faltering and so much else in turmoil, the cowboy presidents are unlikely to agree on the so-called "whole enchilada" plan, which would have included legalization of undocumented U.S.
Politicking the border: the deaths of 17 migrants in an overheated semi trailer brought on a bout of political hand-wringing. But what will escalating atrocities at the border mean for long-term change to enforcement policies?
Techniques for using lures have been the subject of many articles and books, so I won't go into detail except to reiterate two basic rules: Since no lure will work all the time on all deer, lures should be just part of your technique--not the whole enchilada.
Scents and sensibilities: when it comes to whitetail hunting, the nose knows. (Deer Zone)
The whole enchilada. Investor Relations Guide is the single most comprehensive compendium of investor relations practice and guidance ever published.
George Duncan's effort for Kennedy Information garners a 325 percent ROI--and a Gold Award from NL/NL. (Promotion)