"Soup to nuts"
What a strange phrase and its not all that common over here but its regularly used by US visitors. The first time I encountered it I miss-heard it as "Suit to nuts" and my mind reeled at what the hell it could mean. Was it related to removing defences, stripping away layers? Or was it more literal, did it mean exposing someones genitalia for exhibition by removing their suit? Sweet Jesus why would someone use a phrase like that in a business meeting... and why is everyone nodding in agreement!
Turns out to be a clunky way of saying "Beginning to End" which is just disappointing.
Well here in Europe Cheese and Fruit are very common at the end of a meal but I haven't seen Nuts on offer that much. Perhaps I'm in the wrong culinary circles.
As far as Americans, Doris Kearns Goodwin had a passage about Lincoln reminiscing on his childhood in "Team of rivals", how he loved listening when his fathers friends would visit and they would break out nuts and converse for hours. So they were popular at some point...