| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 347.1 | I believe everything I hear | CREDIT::RANDALL | Bonnie Randall Schutzman | Fri Apr 17 1987 13:25 | 10 |
| I've heard that it refers to the amount of material in a traditional
kilt. Apparently makers of cheap kilts cut the cost by putting in fake
pleats that use considerably less material, but a well-made
high-quality kilt uses the whole nine yards.
However, it seems more likely to refer to American football -- your
manager goes the whole nine yards, leaving you with fourth and one.
Punt formation . . .
--bonnie
|
| 347.2 | From a cement mixer? | APTECH::RSTONE | Roy | Fri Apr 17 1987 13:28 | 12 |
| There was an earlier discussion of this, either in this conference
or some other. There were a number of opinions offered, but the
one which seemed to draw some agreement is that it came from the
construction industry when they are pouring concrete. I believe
the reference is to the cement mixer trucks which are capable of
holding nine (cubic) yards of wet concrete. Hence when you dump
the full load, you've used (or gone) the "whole nine yards".
Feel free to challenge the above or to offer other suggestions.
I'm just passing along what I read somewhere else, and make no claim
as to its authenticity.
|
| 347.3 | Ship up or ...? | ERASER::KALLIS | Hallowe'en should be legal holiday | Fri Apr 17 1987 13:44 | 7 |
| Another thought: it might have a nautical origin. A "yard" or
"yardarm" is that pole used to support a sail on a mast. If the
wind is right and for a multi-masted vessel, they want to get maximum
speed, they might use a full nine yardarms -- or a "full nine yards,"
which expression might have been corrupted by evolution.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 347.4 | see topic #134 | SKIVT::W_PIPER | bill piper | Sat Apr 18 1987 02:46 | 0
|