shebang
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology 1
Origin proposed [1]: Known to go back at least to year 1862 (Walt Whitman), shebang is suspected to originate from the French word char-a-banc, which was a bus-like wagon with a lot of seats, but no specific connection has been proven as of now. Later, Mark Twain used it to describe a vehicle, as well as "any matter of present concern". Also possibly derived from or influence by shebeen (“cabin where unlicensed liquor is sold and drunk”), pre-1800, chiefly in Ireland and Scotland, from Irish seibin (“small mug”), diminutive of seibe (“mug, bottle, liquid measure”)
[edit] Alternative forms
[edit] Noun
shebang (uncountable)
- Any matter of present concern; thing; or business.
- 1934 — Robert E. Howard, Sluggers on the Beach:
- "Before I'd share anything with you," he said bitterly, "I'd lose the whole shebang."
- 1934 — Robert E. Howard, Sluggers on the Beach:
- (obsolete) A vehicle.[2]
- 1871 December 14, Samuel Clemens, “Roughing It” (lecture), printed in Fred W. Lorch, “Mark Twain's Lecture from Roughing it”, in American Literature, volume 22, number 3 (November 1950), pages 305:
- […] So they got into the empty omnibus and sat down. Colonel Jack says: “...What is the name of this.” Colonel Jim told him it was a barouche. After a while he poked his head out in front and said to the driver, “I say, Johnny, this suits me. We want this shebang all day. Let the horses go.”
- 1871 December 14, Samuel Clemens, “Roughing It” (lecture), printed in Fred W. Lorch, “Mark Twain's Lecture from Roughing it”, in American Literature, volume 22, number 3 (November 1950), pages 305:
- (archaic) A lean-to or temporary shelter.
- 1889 — Bret Harte, The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh
- They say that old pirate, Kingfisher Culpepper, had a stock of the real thing from Robertson County laid in his shebang on the Marsh just before he died.
- 1889 — Bret Harte, The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] References
- Shebang. Cassell's Dictionary of Slang By Jonathon Green, Sterling Pub. Co., Inc. 2006, p. 1261[1]
- Take our Word
- Word Origins
- For examples of the usage of this term see the citations page.
[edit] Etymology 2
hash + bang or sharp + bang, after Etymology 1.
[edit] Noun
shebang (plural shebangs)
- (computing) The character string "#!" used at the beginning of a computer file to indicate which interpreter can process the commands in the file, chiefly used in Unix and related operating systems.
