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- DictionaryThe whole ball of wax
- ▪ everything related to a particular situation; the whole thing
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One theory suggests that it may have originated from ancient Egypt, where beeswax was used as a binding agent for papyrus scrolls. The entire scroll would be rolled up into a ball with the wax holding it together, hence the term “whole ball of wax”.
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The whole ball of wax means the whole thing, everything. The whole ball of wax is an American idiom of uncertain origin, so far it has been traced back to at least the 1880s.
Whole ball of wax. The only thing we know for sure about this expression is that it is originally American, that it first appears in American newspapers in the 1880s, and means everything or the whole works. Apart from this, the origin and connection with wax are unknown.
Jul 6, 2002 · Q From James Cameron in Australia: What is the history and origin of the term the whole ball of wax? I have heard explanations indicating that it is derived from workers at Madame Tussauds, but this seems a bit contrived, not to mention trite.
Ball of wax may refer to a 17th-century English legal practice whereby land was divided among heirs by covering scraps of paper representing portions of land with wax, rolling each into a ball, and drawing the balls from a hat.
If you talk about the whole ball of wax, you mean the whole of something, including everything connected with it. Perry wanted it all the fame, the money, the glamour — the whole ball of wax. Note: The usual British expression is the whole caboodle.
Jun 2, 2024 · whole ball of wax. ( idiomatic, slang) The entire or overall plan, concept or action. The whole ball of wax will be viewed in 5 minutes. In my opinion the whole ball of wax depends on what she'll say. Of course I have to take a little advantage.
