From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe world and his wifethe world and his wifeBritish English everyone or anybody – used when you want to emphasize that a lot of people do something or anyone can do something It seemed that the world and his wife had come to Madrid. → world
Examples from the Corpus
the world and his wife• Now all the world and his wife seems to have heard of them!• Only all the world and his wife, if I know Igor.• It seemed that all the world and his wife were in Madrid.• Nick and Clem will have invited half the world and his wife, anyway.• The reason the world and his wife head for these shores is they know that their chances of deportation are virtually non-existent.• This also facilitated close up shots to be taken without the world and his wife looking on. 