Etymology: based on the literal meaning of from the stem to the stern (= from the front end to the back end of a ship)
stem to stern
Completely or entirely, as from one end to the other. The stem and the stern are opposite ends of a ship. If that guy so much as looks at me the wrong way, I'll cut him from stem to stern, I swear!When I had the flu, I honestly ached from stem to stern and couldn't get out of bed for days.
stem to stern
see under from soup to nuts.
stem to stern, from
From beginning to end; entirely. In nautical terminology the stem is an upright at the bow (front) of a vessel and the stern is the back end. This counterpart of from head to toe and from soup to nuts was quoted by the Roman writer Cicero as a Greek proverb. In English the term was used literally from about 1600 on, and figuratively soon afterward.