everything but the kitchen sink

everything but the kitchen sink

Meaning

• almost everything that one can think of
• everything imaginable
• a very large number of things, whether needed or not
• much more than necessary number of things
• just about everything

Example Sentences

1. When he moved out of the house, he took along everything but the kitchen sink.
2. They were going away for only a few days, but they packed everything but the kitchen sink.
3. Have a look at this website. It talks of everything but the kitchen sink.
4. When we were going on a vacation, my wife wanted to take everything but the kitchen sink.
5. Our nearby store is a one-stop shop. You'll find everything but the kitchen sink in there.
6. When he and his colleague went on a trip to a remote place for work, he insisted on taking everything but the kitchen sink along.

Origin
The phrase originated around the early 1900s and the first print reference can be found in 1918 in the newspaper The Syracuse Herald. The expression became popular during World War II, where it was said that everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at the enemy. This lead to the erroneous belief that the phrase originated during WWII. Another variant of the phrase, “everything but the kitchen stove” predates this phrase and can be found in 1894 in the Jeffersonville National Democraft. The current phrase probably evolved this earlier phrase.