Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Meaning, Origin, Usage & Exercises

Imagine someone packing for a weekend trip and bringing not just clothes and toiletries but also an iron, a blender, a pillow, six books, and a yoga mat. You might say, ‘They brought everything but the kitchen sink!’. This vivid, humorous idiom captures the absurdity of over-preparing or including excessive items. Whether it is in conversation, writing, or IELTS essays, this idiom is one of the best phrases to use in IELTS Speaking to paint a picture of excessiveness. 

In this blog post, we will explore the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’, and provide examples, especially for IELTS Speaking.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Meaning

The idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ means including almost everything imaginable, often to an excessive or unnecessary extent. If someone packs everything but the kitchen sink, it means they have taken nearly all they own, probably more than needed. 

This phrase is often used humorously or critically to point out over-preparation, clutter, or over-the-top effort. 

Origin of Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom

The history of the idiom, everything but the kitchen sink, dates back to the early 19th century. The phrase was officially published in ‘The Syracuse Herald’ in 1918. 

During World War II, the expression shot to fame when the term was used to denote that almost everything possible was used against the enemy. This idiom has an ancestor called “everything but the kitchen stove”. 

The references to the ancestral phrase can be found in the Jeffersonville National Democraft in 1894. Over time, the idiom expanded beyond warfare to everyday use—describing anything from excessive packing to overloaded resumes.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom Usage

Given below are a few examples of how the idiom, everything but the kitchen sink, can be used in daily conversations.

• When his grandmother went to the US, she carried everything but the kitchen sink.
• The residents say that the supermarket has everything but the kitchen sink.
• This new book on space theory has everything but the kitchen sink.
• We packed for the beach, but my mom brought everything but the kitchen sink.
• The marketing team added everything but the kitchen sink to the campaign, making it too cluttered.

Use of Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom in Scenarios

You will find some examples where the idiom, everything but the kitchen sink, has been used in different scenarios.

Scenario 1:

• Neighbour: Why does the house look empty?
• House owner: That’s because the tenant took everything but the kitchen sink.
• Neighbour: Oh! No.

Scenario 2:

• Friend 1: What do we need to pack for our trip to the mountains?
• Friend 2: Take your jackets, shoes, scarves, some cotton wool, all winter clothes, some snacks, water bottles, and your camera.
• Friend 1: Oh! We’re going to carry everything but the kitchen sink.

Scenario 3:

• Mrs. John: My son was on leave y’day because he was sick. So we need your help.
• Mrs. Kim: Of course, yes! What do you want?
• Mrs. John: We need the notebooks and textbooks. Also, we have moved to the new house, and nothing is in place. So we would need your son’s geometry box, sketch pens, and... And yes...your son’s scientific calculator as well.
• Mrs. John: You seem to need everything but the kitchen sink.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Synonyms and Related Phrases

In the table below, you will find the common idioms list for IELTS Speaking related to the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Detailed Usage in IELTS Contexts

Here you will find a few sample answers showing different ways in which the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ can be applied effectively across IELTS contexts.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Cue Card Topic: Describe a time when you prepared too much for something.
• Answer Excerpt: "Last year, I had to give a class presentation. I was so anxious that I included everything but the kitchen sink - too many slides, statistics, and even background music. It overwhelmed the audience rather than engaging them."

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• Question: Do people over-prepare for important events?
• Answer: “Yes, many people tend to over-prepare. For instance, some brides include everything but the kitchen sink in wedding arrangements, which can lead to stress and confusion.”

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Practice Exercises

The following exercises will guide you on how to properly use the idiom 'everything but the kitchen sink' and show you how to apply it appropriately.

1 In which situation is it best to use ‘everything but the kitchen sink’?

A When you explain something very briefly

B When you try to be minimalistic

C When you include almost every possible thing

D When you fix a kitchen sink

2 Which of these implies overdoing something unnecessarily?

A Keep it simple

B Everything but the kitchen sink

C Less is more

D Understate

3 Which of the following sentences correctly uses the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’?

A She invited everyone except the kitchen staff to the party.

B He packed everything but the kitchen sink for the two-day trip.

C The plumber repaired everything including the kitchen sink.

D They left the kitchen sink behind during the renovation.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Idiom: Answer Key for Practice Exercises 

To conclude, the idiom ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ is an expressive and memorable way to describe excess or over-preparation. However, its effectiveness lies in using it appropriately, not overusing the idiom in itself during the IELTS exam! So, master idioms like this and boost your IELTS vocabulary, which is one of the hallmarks of a Band 8+ IELTS candidate.

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