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.
1. “Everything but the kitchen sink” The idiom was born around WWII when as many household items as possible were contributed to the war effort—including all metal, to be used for the U.S. arsenal. However, the old ceramic and cast iron kitchen sinks generally stayed put, deemed too heavy.
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Everything But the Kitchen Sink Meaning – Everything But the Kitchen Sink Examples – Idioms
FAQ
What does it mean when someone says everything but the kitchen sink?
Where does the saying throw the kitchen sink come from?
What does pack everything but the kitchen sink mean?
Where did the term kitchen sink come from?
Where did the phrase ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ come from?
The first use of the saying in print comes from The Syracuse Herald in 1918. “Everything but the kitchen sink” went on to become a popular saying during the Second World War. The phrase would describe how allies would “throw everything but the kitchen sink” at enemies to force them to retreat or surrender.
What does everything but the kitchen sink mean?
If so, you could use the expression “ everything but the kitchen sink .” This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. The expression “everything but the kitchen sink” means that you’re taking every possible solution you can think of in a situation. It can also refer to overdoing things, such as packing or preparing your household.
Where did the word kitchen sink come from?
The OED’s own earliest citation is from 1948, an extract from Eric Partridge’s ‘A Dictionary of Forces’ Slang’: Kitchen sink, used only in the phrase indicating intense bombardment—‘They chucked everything they’d got at us except, or including, the kitchen sink.’ ‘The kitchen stove’ was also used.
Where did the phrase ‘The Kitchen Sink was thrown at the enemy’ come from?
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.