# Origin of "the works" meaning the full range of possibilities; everything

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-works-meaning-the-full-range-of-possibilities-everything/327403>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 22, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-works-meaning-the-full-range-of-possibilities-everything/327403 "2005-10-22T05:28:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-works-meaning-the-full-range-of-possibilities-everything/327403/1 "2005-10-22T05:28:50Z")

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Q: What did a Zen Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?  
A: Make me one with everything (aka “the works” but that wouldn’t be funny).

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**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-works-meaning-the-full-range-of-possibilities-everything/327403/2 "2005-10-22T07:49:14Z")

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> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Q: What did a Zen Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?  
> A: Make me one with everything (aka “the works” but that wouldn’t be funny).

Q: And what did the hot dog vendor say to the Zen Buddhist when he asked for his change?  
A: Change comes from within.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-works-meaning-the-full-range-of-possibilities-everything/327403/3 "2005-10-22T11:19:27Z")

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The OED takes it back to 1899, says it was US slang, and implies that the original was “the (whole) works.”