shooting match: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal (in its idiomatic usage)
Quick answer
What does “shooting match” mean?
A competitive event involving shooting at targets with firearms.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A competitive event involving shooting at targets with firearms.
The phrase 'the whole shooting match' is an idiom meaning 'everything related to a particular situation or activity' or 'the entire affair'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the idiom 'the whole shooting match'. The literal event is equally understood.
Connotations
The idiom has a slightly old-fashioned, colloquial feel in both regions.
Frequency
The idiom is moderately common in informal speech and writing in both the UK and US, though perhaps slightly more frequent in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “shooting match” in a Sentence
[determiner] + shooting matchthe whole + shooting matchVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could be used humorously: 'We're buying the company, the patents, the whole shooting match.'
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Used in informal conversation to mean 'everything': 'I packed my clothes, my books, the whole shooting match.'
Technical
Used in its literal sense within shooting sports communities.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “shooting match”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “shooting match”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shooting match”
- Using 'shooting match' without 'the whole' to mean 'everything'. Incorrect: 'I lost my shooting match.' (to mean 'I lost everything'). Correct: 'I lost the whole shooting match.'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The idiomatic meaning requires the phrase 'the whole shooting match'.
The idiom 'the whole shooting match' is decidedly informal and colloquial.
It likely originates from 19th-century America, where a 'shooting match' was a community event involving various contests. 'The whole shooting match' came to mean the entire event and then, by extension, everything involved in any affair.
Yes, phrases like 'the whole shebang', 'the whole nine yards', or simply 'everything' are common modern equivalents.
A competitive event involving shooting at targets with firearms.
Shooting match: in British English it is pronounced /ˈʃuːtɪŋ ˌmætʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈʃuːt̬ɪŋ ˌmætʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the whole shooting match”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a wild west show where a marksman wins EVERY event (the whole match). Now apply that to winning 'everything' in any situation.
Conceptual Metaphor
A COMPETITIVE EVENT IS A CONTAINER FOR ALL RELATED ELEMENTS.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'the whole shooting match' typically express?