whole hog

[hohl hawg, hog]

noun

1. the furthest extent; everything.

   With them it was whole hog or nothing.

adjective

1. Usually whole-hog complete and thorough; wholehearted.

   Any whole-hog endorsement of the doctrine would leave its proponent overexposed to counterarguments.

adverb

1. completely; wholeheartedly.

   I've long hated this idea that you can't just jump whole hog into radical feminism.

whole hog

noun

1. slang,  the whole or total extent (esp in the phrase go the whole hog )

Word History and Origins

Origin of whole hog¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–30

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go the whole hog, to do something to the fullest extent; proceed with or indulge in something completely and unreservedly: Also go whole hog

   The townspeople went the whole hog for the celebration.

see go whole hog.