the whole bakery
- idiom
- Informal
- When she won the lottery, she felt like she had the whole bakery.
Examples
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After landing the big contract, she felt like she had the whole bakery.
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He didn't just win the competition—he got the whole bakery.
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With these benefits, employees feel they have the whole bakery at work.
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She feels like she has the whole bakery after that promotion!
-
After landing the big contract, she felt like she had the whole bakery.
-
He didn't just win the competition—he got the whole bakery.
-
With these benefits, employees feel they have the whole bakery at work.
Synonyms
5
4.2
To have everything you need and wish for
4
6.7
All the things and people connected with something
3
5.2
All the things you need for an activity, like tools and supplies
Antonyms
How Complete
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + whole + bakery
The words 'whole' (totality) and 'bakery' (a place selling many goods) transparently convey the idea of 'all of something', so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer a literal meaning like 'the entire bakery' or 'all the goods'. However, reading this as the idiomatic sense 'to have everything one desires / all advantages' requires a metaphorical generalisation beyond the literal composition and is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The expression the whole bakery makes you picture getting every cake, pastry and loaf in a shop, not just one piece. So, when someone has the whole bakery, they have 'everything' or all the best things and advantages.