Other phrases that refer to everything are “all the marbles,” “the whole shooting match,” “the whole ball of wax,” and “the whole shebang.”, Nevertheless, she is not underestimating her opponent as she knows that any fight in the Octagon can last, com, ` 1,199 Raisons sheer cotton benarasi jamdani sari, ` 15,000 Anuradha Ramam yellow bag with stripes, ` 3,200 Whether your mum goes, Besides "The Green Mile," Duncan starred in such blockbusters as "Sin City," ", In day-to-day business you cannot afford for the customer to guess at any part of of the sales proposition, give them, "This is the guy Peter was - active in his community, volunteering, not just with Wirral CVS, changing people's lives -. Definition: The entire amount; everything, as far as possible. The Whole Nine Yards The phrase ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ is used to indicate that you are speaking about everything that is appropriate, available, or pertinent, in all ways. Another hypothesis suggests that this originates from coal mining. The breakthrough in the search for its origins came in 2012 when Bonnie Taylor-Blake, a neuroscience researcher in North Carolina, found an example in the June 1956 issue of a wildlife magazine called Kentucky Happy Hunting Ground . I want a traditional wedding, with the cake, the dress—the whole nine yards. However, none of these or any other explanation has been conclusively proven. And a wild goose chase is exactly where the phrase “the whole nine yards” has been sending word historians. Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017. Straight from the horse’s mouth. A vast number of explanations for this phrase have been suggested; however many of these are no longer viable in light of what is now known about the phrase's history. The Whole Nine Yards is a 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn and distributed by Warner Bros. The expression 'the whole nine yards' means 'all of it - the full measure'. For example, The entire distance; the whole thing. You're worth the whole nine yards. However, none of these or any other explanation has been conclusively proven. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Turning auto service facilities into living rooms, UFC News: Jessica Eye Is Game To Fight Ronda Rousey, 'Green Mile' Actor Michael Duncan Dies at Age 54, Jennifer Lopez's friends 'bracing for wedding announcement', Up on the roof; Double-duty parking garage a WPI solution, HE HELPED SO MANY TO MOVE ON IN THEIR LIVES; Tributes as man faces mentor murder charge, Sheen needs to be committed to treatment or 'he may die,' says addiction expert, Trio who are on the White track; AFTER selling almost a million copies of their debut album, White Lies have it all to prove with their second, Ritual. Among the possibilities are the nine yards of material from which tailors made expensive men's suits; the nine cubic yards of concrete that concrete trucks held; the nine yards (or spars) on a three-masted sailing ship; the volume of grave soil; and the length of a World War II aircraft ammunition belt. the ˌwhole ˌnine ˈyards. Often used, like etc., to finish out a list. Learn English in minutes and understand the meaning of the idiom "to go the whole nine yards". Some think it has to do with the amount of fabric in a kilt. See also: nine, whole, yard. The following were suggested by William Safire’s correspondents: nine yards once constituted the entire amount put onto a bolt of cloth, and for an ornate garment the “whole nine yards” would be used; the standard large cement mixer holds nine yards of cement, and a big construction job would use up the “whole nine yards”; in the square-rigged, three-masted sailing ship of former times, each mast carried three “yards” (the spars supporting the sails), and the expression “whole nine yards” would mean that the sails were fully set. What does the idiom “(The) Whole Nine Yards” mean? The entirety of what's possible or available; all the related elements of something. He thought the phrase originally referred to the capacity of a cement truck in cubic yards. The origin of this expression is considered the holy grail of etymology. There is still no consensus on the origin, though many early published quotations are now available for study. Among the possibilities are the nine yards of material from which tailors made expensive men's suits; the nine cubic yards of concrete that concrete trucks held; the nine yards (or spars) on a three-masted sailing ship; the volume of grave soil; and the length of a World War II aircraft ammunition belt. ( informal, especially American English) everything, or a situation which includes everything: When Des cooks dinner he always goes the whole nine yards, with three courses and and a choice of dessert. I thought the whole nine yards was in reference to machine guns. Example of Use: “If you want to run for class president, I’ll be with you the whole nine yards.” What Does The Whole Nine Yards Mean? For you I'll go the whole nine yards. I want a traditional wedding, with the cake, the dress—the whole nine yards. Where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from? Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017. The length of the bullets “belt” being nine yards long and using the whole thing. In American Football each team must gain ten yards to recycle their possession. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Whole nine yards, the definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Everything that is relevant; the whole thing. The phrase first appeared during the 1960s of out Vietnam War writings with no further explanation. informal mainly US. The phrase ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ is used to indicate that you are speaking about everything that is appropriate, available, or pertinent, in all ways. The Whole Nine Yards Meaning. the whole nine yards Rate this phrase: (0.00 / 0 votes) And everything. One of our many resources for ESL/EFL students. Origins: While the meaning of the whole nine yards is relatively well understood, how the saying came into the English language remains a mystery. "His issues need to be addressed by true professionals-a psychiatrist, a medical team, On the first album, Cave confesses they wanted. Translation Find a translation for the the whole nine yards phrase in other languages: Select another language: Novelist Lee Child used it in, The entire amount or distance. The actual origin of the phrase " the whole nine yards " originates from late 19th century explosive mining methods, where a " whole nine yards " of safety fuse would be used (The maximum length that could be reliably used without burning out before igniting the dynamite) in the case of a huge detonation, hence longer fuses give you more time to get the fuck out of there. Starting at one they have four passages of play in which to do this. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/whole+nine+yards. Novelist Lee Child used it in, The entire amount or distance. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Salt Lake Tribune, 3 May 1964. But that profusion of possibilities is the key to the idiom's appeal. Trying to pinpoint the origin of the “whole nine yards” has puzzled etymology buffs for years. Wealthy gentlemen would order a new overcoat from the local tailor. The entire distance; the whole thing. The entirety of what's possible or available; all the related elements of something. the whole nine yards - Examples: 1) Men now wear skirts, dresses, lipstick, and the whole nine yards of makeup.. 2) ... being in stable relationships, less and less of us are going the whole nine yards and making the official commitment by marrying.. 3) ... they can from men -- including money, apartments, cars, the whole nine yards if possible. But there are plenty of other theories. They have books, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, the whole nine yards. When Des cooks dinner he always goes the whole nine yards, with three courses and and a choice of dessert. The whole nine yards speaks to the completeness of the effort, that nothing was missed or skipped over. When Des cooks dinner he always goes the whole nine yards, with three courses and and a choice of dessert. The source of this term has been lost, but as usual there are several etymological theories. The idiom whole nine yards speaks to the extent of someone’s effort. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. The phrase first appeared during the 1960s of out Vietnam War writings with no further explanation. Wow, Shelly really went the whole nine yards with toppings for the ice cream bar. The term “the whole nine yards” originally referred to the amount of fabric it took to make an authentic dress for a colonial lady. The following were suggested by William Safire’s correspondents: nine yards once constituted the entire amount put onto a bolt of cloth, and for an ornate garment the “whole nine yards” would be used; the standard large cement mixer holds nine yards of cement, and a big construction job would use up the “whole nine yards”; in the square-rigged, three-masted sailing ship of former times, each mast carried three “yards” (the spars supporting the sails), and the expression “whole nine yards” would mean that the sails were fully set. That little phrase is casually tossed into conversations when the need arises to express that every conceivable (and quite possibly inconceivable) length has been gone to in pursuit of a specific aim. Idioms are like fun-sized parables; they illustrate an idea with the kind of arrogance and ambiguity usually … If you go the whole nine yards, you thought of everything, you used every resource, you looked into every possibility.Or if it is used as mass noun to describe a group, that group includes everything possible. The source of this term has been lost, but as usual there are several etymological theories. Of all phrases in the English language, few have as many supposed sources as this one. 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Until a few years ago, the earliest recorded examples came from the Vietnam War era, but thanks to the concerted digging of word sleuths, we can now date "the whole nine … This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. The phrase "whole nine yards" originated during the renaissance period in England. There's much more than just whipped cream and sprinkles here! “Give ’em the whole nine yards” means an item-by-item report on any project. everything you can possibly want, have, or do in a particular situation : When I was little, my family always had lots of pets - dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, rabbits - the whole nine yards. … To this day, ladies who wish to have costumes made can do with no less than nine yards of material, not to mention lace, buttons, snaps and whatever else it takes to complete the outfit. There's much more than just whipped cream and sprinkles here! For you I'll go the whole nine yards. So those who used this gun were told to give the enemy “the whole nine yards”. ( informal, especially American English) everything, or a situation which includes everything: When Des cooks dinner he always goes the whole nine yards, with three courses and and a choice of dessert. the ˌwhole ˌnine ˈyards. Other phrases that refer to everything are “all the marbles,” “the whole shooting match,” “the whole ball of wax,” and “the whole shebang.”, A pair of comic book writers begin to notice scary similarities between the character they created and horrific real-life events, the, Alex Rae reckons Rangers' chances of hitting the Premiership endzone could be blitzed if they don't go the, Before heading off to a Filipiniana event at Staples Center, Manny Pacquiao went the, Dubai Festival City's IMAGINE Show has already taken the city by storm, but this 31st December the venue is going the, He said: 'We at Fortis Mobile Money have always believed in going the, I'm not talking about just gender, I'm talking about ethnicity, sexual orientation, the, THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD (15) HHHH H THIS buddy action comedy is fast, funny and the, MILOS RAONIC knows he will have to go the, Surreal's Jason Hopper decided that his work with Elite had to go the, Nevertheless, she is not underestimating her opponent as she knows that any fight in the Octagon can last the. No matter what size the coat was, the customer would be charged for the full piece of cloth that it was cut from, usually about 9 yards worth. Over the years, people have dreamed up a ton of meanings for the common idiom: some say it refers to the length of ammunition belts in WWII, others, the yardage in football. Some people say it dates back to when square-riggers had three masts, each with three yards supporting the sails, so the whole nine yards meant the sails were fully set. - Autumn Brown February 4, 2021 What's the origin of the phrase 'The whole nine yards'? Wow, Shelly really went the whole nine yards with toppings for the ice cream bar. See the examples below for more clarity on this idiom’s use. You're worth the whole nine yards. Some believe that it came from the length of the ammunition belt of the Vickers machine gun (it was nine yards long). See also: nine, whole, yard. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/the+whole+nine+yards. the whole nine yards = all of a related set of circumstances, conditions, or details Definition: The entire amount; everything; all of something. But what nine yards are being referred to, and why must the whole of them … Thousands of hours of research has gone into unearthing the evidence that will prove which of the many possible derivations is true. In 1982, William Safire called that "one of the great etymological mysteries of our time." Good to learn a different meaning! Thanks for sharing. The whole nine yards. The phrase "The whole nine yards" is derived from American airmen in the Pacific during World War Two. the whole nine yards. For those outside of North America who aren’t familiar, “the whole nine yards” is an American phrase which loosely means “everything” or “the full extent of something.” As to the exact origin, it’s a slight mystery. Of all phrases in the English language, few have as many supposed sources as this one. Like the Holy Grail “the whole nine yards” has inspired both armchair mythologizing and years of hard and often fruitless searching through random books and miles of … Andy Welch catches up with the trio, who are at the O[TM] Academy on February 17, the whole team and the dog under the wagon, the woods are full of (someone or something). For example: “Sandra does everything around the office: sales, secretarial work, personnel management—the whole nine yards.” Notes: There is much debate over the origin of this idiom; no one really knows where it came from. Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to the whole nine yards the wheel turns the wheels fell off the wagon the wheels came off the bus the world is one's oyster there are the world is one's lobster the way to a man's heart is through his… the whole shooting match there and back the wealthiest man has the biggest hump. 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