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I heard from a coworker that the old cliche' "The whole nine yards" originated from an old belt-fed weapon that had ammo boxes holding a total of nine yards worth of belt. So, when a gunner really wanted to let 'em have it, they were told to "give 'em the whole nine yards". Anyone know if this is actually the origin of this phrase? Just curiosity, I like random history trivia.
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Originally posted by DocSkinnerOriginally posted by Bizcuits -
There are a couple theories behind that saying. That is one. Another has it as a full-blown high dollar suit would take 9 yards of cloth to make, but a cheaper cut would take less. So asking for the whole nine yards was asking for the best.Jack
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I've wondered about this too, googled it and found this:
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I think a better link is http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...ole-nine-yards
It's not clear what the origin may be.ARCHIVED Calguns Foundation Wiki here: http://web.archive.org/web/201908310...itle=Main_Page
Frozen in 2015, it is falling out of date and I can no longer edit the content. But much of it is still good!Comment
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Originally posted by Citadelgrad87Comment
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I heard that its a WWII saying and the machine gun belts were for the 50 Cals and were 9 yards (27 feet) long. Thus if you emptied the entire belt you gave them the "whole nine yards".
Dunno where to verify that tho.. I will look. We have the power of the Internet! Thank you Al Bore.
I started to answer then had to get the kids some dinner... when I hit post someone beat me to it.
Damn you Al Bore...Comment
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I heard that 9 cubic yards was the capacity of a cement mixer.
The "whole 9 yards" was one truckload of concrete.L.A. County
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I had heard that this phrase started from a legendary porn star in the 1950s... and well.... to go the whole 9 yards was... ya...
Originally posted by KestryllOriginally posted by ivanimalJust be glad you are not his next door neighbor. I am sure there are "good tunes" flowing out the window. I am imagining a cop car pulling up at 1:30 AM asking "Are you having a party?" and Bundo sayin "Nope just me and the BG's"
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I have a book here that talks about military history, and the term "Full Nine Yards" actually originated from WW2 fighter pilots who only carried 9 yards of ammunition. And thus going the whole nine yards was basically going "all out".
The name of the book is Essential Militaria, Written by Nicholas Hobbes.
- GA vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
- Ronald ReaganComment
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A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
- Ronald ReaganComment
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That's what I've heard as well, but I also recall reading somewhere that there are several possible "whole 9 yards" sources . . . and now a new one (for me) that it was the length of a belt of MG ammo. I kinda like that better than the concrete load . . .
ETA: Here's wikipedia's take on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whole_Nine_Yardssigpic
Paratus et Vigilans
Prepared and On Guard
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take from you all you have." - Gerald R. FordComment
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This was on the history channel and they said it was the 50 cal belt as well. Another tidbit is that howard hughes invented metal linked ammo.Comment
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HA! for some reason I always thought this was related to football and first down.Comment
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