The "Whole Nine Yards"......
- Thread starter Rembrandt
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Sorry, chirrin, but the term predates aircraft and possibly firearms. There is debate whether it comes from all 9 yard arms under sail or the full 9 yard length of a great kilt.
George Hill
Member
That link didn't shed any light... only opened more questions.
Rezin
Member
I saw the title of the thread, and immediatley though of Amanda Peet NAKED with a gun!!
Link contains a gun (and a naked woman!) - [link deleted]
(From the movie "The Whole Nine Yards")
Link contains a gun (and a naked woman!) - [link deleted]
(From the movie "The Whole Nine Yards")
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Sindawe
Member
I'd love to have that engine in one of my motorcycles.
wingnutx
Member
length of a kilt, I thought.
Lonestar.45
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It goes way way back to the British use of cat o' nine tails to flog their unruly seamen. I can't put together more than that, but I know that's the origin. Anyone else want to add?
It is probably younger than the Mustang in the picture, and it is, most definitely, younger than the men holding the ammunition. The expression has only been recorded since the 1960s, and nobody, that's nobody has an explanation that doesn't smack of folk etymology.
For the best shot at the origin, read this.
For the best shot at the origin, read this.
phoglund
Member
Rezin,
That's exactly what came to my mind as well.
That's exactly what came to my mind as well.
Kodiaz
member
You guys can have the engine. Just leave me the Browning .50 cal. guns
1911 guy
Member
Why would you give someone your kilt?
The expression hearks to the 27 feet of belted ammunition, as has been pointed out by posters and their echoes. That, however, doesn't stop the revisionist historians from thinking up non-martial origins for phrases we use. Remember the genius recently who tried to pass off "molon labe" as some pansy french quote? Heaven forbid it should be violent in origin and stand for a principle. Good rule of thumb: If any historical item is attributed to a politically correct origin, your information is probably wrong. We of the late 20th century are the only ones to be concerned with such bull excrement.
The expression hearks to the 27 feet of belted ammunition, as has been pointed out by posters and their echoes. That, however, doesn't stop the revisionist historians from thinking up non-martial origins for phrases we use. Remember the genius recently who tried to pass off "molon labe" as some pansy french quote? Heaven forbid it should be violent in origin and stand for a principle. Good rule of thumb: If any historical item is attributed to a politically correct origin, your information is probably wrong. We of the late 20th century are the only ones to be concerned with such bull excrement.
OP
OP
Rembrandt
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If the average height of each man is six foot, the belts pictured appear to be about 10-12 feet in length....or are they doubled up?....or were they linked to another belt that is not pictured?
Got to admire the weight these guys were packing....(1) 50 cal BMG, plus ammo....couldn't have been easy.
Got to admire the weight these guys were packing....(1) 50 cal BMG, plus ammo....couldn't have been easy.
Brian Dale
Member
No doubt about one thing, Rembrandt: that's a terrific picture. Thanks for posting it.
Gordon Fink
Member
1911 guy said:
Because all nifty phrases have martial origins? Don’t blow your top when they don’t.
In the case of the “whole nine yards,” I had previously read that the expression related to the length of magnetic tape on a reel-to-reel deck. The usage of said recording medium also corresponds nicely to the appearance of the phrase in print in the A.D. 1960s, but that dosn’t mean it’s correct either.
~G. Fink
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