When I first heard the phrase "soup to nuts" I was listening to radio talkshow. The host was talking about politics and something else. I think it was Neil Bortz on WSB radio. And he said he was talking about something that Congress was doing and that it would be something that went soup to nuts whatever they were trying to pass.
At first I thought he was talking about something vulgar dribbling down the backside of a guy's testicles or something. Then I just discounted it and said I don't know what that means. A couple of days later I heard another talkshow host say that. And he explained it. He explained that it was a reference to doing a complete job on something just like in a formal dinner where you have the soup, then the salad, then whatever else you have, then you have the main course, then you have dessert, and then they have nuts apparently.
After that explanation I understood what it meant but I still didn't understand completely. You see, I'm a normal guy that doesn't go to formal dinners except once or twice in a lifetime. I was even uncomfortable going to the dinners on the cruise ship the times we will on cruises. So when you start talking about which fork you're supposed to use and having foods in the right order I don't get it. That's not my lifestyle.
In today's environment I wonder if that's a wise phrase to use. I heard a young talkshow host use that phrase today and the conditioning of our society and discourse caused me to think that he was displaying his privilege for all to see.
I don't have soup before my dinner at home. That ends up being the main course. We don't put out nuts after dinner, we usually have them as a snack in the afternoon. And so when somebody uses that phrase "soup to nuts" I still have to stop and think what the hell are they talking about?
I love our language!
