From A to Z

Meaning

From A to Z: thoroughly, completely, including everything; from the beginning to the end 1,2,3

Usage

“When I was in the hospital, my family and friends took care of everything from A to Z.”

“We need to go over the plan from A to Z before we begin.”

“I had a book that explained everything from A to Z but I still couldn’t fix my car.”

Origin

Used since at least the first half of the 1800’s.

The idiom alludes to the first and last letters of the Roman alphabet. 4

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References
  1. Jarvie, Gordon. Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms. London: Bloomsbury, 2009.
  2. Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995.
  3. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
  4. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.