What does the phrase everything but mean?

The phrase "everything but" means "all things except" or "excluding". It's used to emphasize that something specific is not included in a list or a set of items.

Here are some examples:

* "I brought everything but the kitchen sink." This means the speaker brought a lot of things, but did not bring a kitchen sink.

* "She has everything but confidence." This means the person possesses many qualities, but lacks confidence.

* "The store had everything but the specific brand of coffee I wanted." This means the store had a wide selection of coffee, but not the specific brand the speaker was looking for.

Essentially, "everything but" sets a broad scope and then specifically excludes something within that scope.