the whole story from beginning to end; fundamental and incidental
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
the whole story; the entire course of events; from beginning to end
literaryA metaphorical idiom used to describe giving a complete account of an event.
This article details the whole story of the incident from beginning to end.
We need to understand the whole course of this matter.
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Please explain the whole story of the matter clearly.
noun
fundamentals and incidentals; primary and secondary aspects
literaryUsed to discuss prioritizing what is essential over what is trivial or understanding the relative importance of matters.
When doing things, you must distinguish between the fundamental and the incidental; you cannot confuse the primary and the secondary.
This plan puts the cart before the horse, treating secondary objectives as the main focus.
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He is very knowledgeable, so naturally he would not fail to distinguish between what's fundamental and what's incidental.