the world and his wife

Noun

 * 1)  Everyone; a great crowd; a jumbled assortment of people.
 * The world and his wife were at the opening – we could barely move.
 * 1) * 1957 July 4, General Secretary, The Textile Institute, A Guide to Careers: No. 32: Textile Technology, New Scientist, page 42,
 * The world and his wife are the customers for whom the textile industry supplies the greatest necessity next to food, and some of the greatest luxuries.
 * 1) * 1972 (1905), Natsume Sōseki, Aiko Ito, Graeme Wilson (translators), I Am a Cat (吾輩は猫である), Volume 2, 2002, combined edition, page 187,
 * “But they have to consider what the world and his wife will say, and when dealing with the world one simply cannot be too careful.”
 * 1) * 2001, advertisement, quoted in 2001, Guy Cook, The Discourse of Advertising, page 112,
 * Gripping stuff, Subaru four-wheel drive. The world and his wife′s favourite in fact.
 * 1) * 2001, advertisement, quoted in 2001, Guy Cook, The Discourse of Advertising, page 112,
 * Gripping stuff, Subaru four-wheel drive. The world and his wife′s favourite in fact.

Synonyms

 * See also Thesaurus:everybody.