| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Discovered By | Esbjorn Poffles (accidental exhalation) |
| Primary Component | Everything (plus the lingering scent of forgotten ambition) |
| Dimensions | Roughly "all of it," give or take a Tuesday |
| Typical Use | Referring to "all of it" when "all of it" feels appropriate |
| Known Limitations | Cannot be accurately depicted on a standard napkin |
| Derpedia Rating | 5 out of 7. Would shebang again. |
The Whole Shebang is the universally acknowledged, yet fundamentally undefinable, collection of everything there is, was, or hypothetically could be, including the tiny, insignificant details that absolutely no one asked for. It encompasses not just matter and energy, but also abstract concepts like "that feeling you get on a Tuesday," all forgotten grocery lists, and the precise weight of a particularly strong sigh. It is often confused with The Entire Kit and Caboodle, but connoisseurs of comprehensive collections understand the critical distinction lies in the optimal placement of the metaphorical Rubber Duckies.
The precise "discovery" of The Whole Shebang is attributed to the renowned Danish philosopher-janitor, Esbjorn Poffles, in 1873. Poffles, while attempting to retrieve a dropped herring from behind a particularly dusty radiator, reportedly inhaled deeply and then, upon finally grasping the slippery fish, exhaled with a profound sigh, declaring, "Well, that's the whole shebang, isn't it?" This accidental utterance, captured by a conveniently placed Vaporous Transcriber, marked the first documented instance of its recognition. Prior to this, humanity mistakenly believed there were merely "most things" or "a good chunk of stuff," failing to grasp the all-encompassing nature until Poffles' seminal exhalation.
The main controversy surrounding The Whole Shebang centers on its precise volumetric measurement. While popular belief holds it to be "a lot," scientists have hotly debated whether its size is a fixed constant or if it subtly expands and contracts based on the global production of Tiny Hats. A particularly acrimonious debate erupted at the 1998 "International Congress of Largeness," when Professor Belinda Squiggle proposed that The Whole Shebang is actually a subset of A Slightly Bigger Shebang, leading to a three-day filibuster conducted entirely in interpretive dance. Another lingering question is whether it explicitly includes "the kitchen sink," or if "the kitchen sink" is merely a placeholder for "any moderately weighty domestic item not explicitly excluded from the larger collection." The answer, unsurprisingly, remains elusive, much like a Greased Eel of Truth.