soup to nuts

my friend patty and i took a nice little walk over to the food source in bryn mawr for lunch the other day and she used the phrase
"soup to nuts"
i never heard the phrase so she just sent me an email explaining it...
patty always keeps me updated from soup to nuts whether it be medicare reimbursement or old phrases

What is 'Soup to Nuts'?

The Phrase
It is commonly believed that the phrase From soup to nuts comes from Roman times. The Romans are quite well known for their extravagant and elaborate meals which sometimes lasted several days. They began their meals with a soup course, to get the appetites flowing. Then came course after course of food until, in the end, there was only room left for something small and flavorful - nuts.

In reality, the phrase From soup to nuts was not used until the middle of the 20th Century. It is, however, a variation on a phrase that has existed since at least the 16th Century. In the 17th Century the phrase was From eggs to apples. The foods named in the phrase change, but the meaning remains the same - it means thorough or from beginning to end, sparing no detail. According to etymologist Evan Morris, if we don't change our eating habits, the phrase will soon mutate to something like From Whopper to Haagen Dasz