2006-08-19 08:20:48 · 10 answers · asked by christancat2000 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
It comes from the Scottish kilts, a full dress kilt is nine yards of fabric woven around the body. Traditionally worn regimentally with no under clothes.
2006-08-19 08:26:57 · answer #1 · answered by andy 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
In old Scotland, it took nine yards of woolen tartan to make a "great kilt" - which was hand pleated and wrapped every time it was worn. In later times, kilts were stitched together so they could be put on more quickly, and they were made using six or seven yards of tartan. Therefore, something done properly and authentically is done by "going the whole nine yards".
2006-08-19 08:26:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
My father told me it came from the army. Apparantly the automatic machine guns that he operated, used cartridges that were linked together in strands that were nine yards long. When a gunner said, "I gave 'em the whole nine yards", that meant...well, you get the picture huh?
2006-08-19 08:30:15 · answer #3 · answered by MARIA 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
nobody quite knows, but it's suspected it came from the tradition of using nine yards of material in the train of a fancy wedding gown. trains themselves are nothing more then an old fashioned form of conspicuous consumption, a family saying "look, we have so much money we can buy an extra 9 yards of material just to hang behind the dress."
2006-08-19 08:27:08 · answer #4 · answered by mischugenah 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There seems to be no definitive answer - lots of possibilities suggested, including an ironic football term (i.e., to fall just short of the required distance), the amount of cement in a cement mixer, the amount of fabric needed for a full men's suit, the number of spars in a ship's sail complement, etc.
But here's a good page that shows research that leaves things inconclusive.
2006-08-19 08:28:44 · answer #5 · answered by Timothy W 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's a Scottish tailor's expression. 9 yards is the amount of material required to make a regulation kilt.
2006-08-19 09:47:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No one is 100% sure, but here's some theories:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-whole-nine-yards.html
2006-08-19 08:28:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Marines
2006-08-19 08:25:56 · answer #8 · answered by mike L 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A football coach or a seamstress! hee hee
Hey! I'm a seamstress! http://custommadeexoticwear.com
2006-08-19 08:26:00 · answer #9 · answered by The Exotic Seamstress 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It came from the movie.
2006-08-19 08:25:58 · answer #10 · answered by tarab91889@verizon.net 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋