"the whole nine yards"

[Steve Campbell]

I was wondering if anyone knows where this phrase originated? I have heard two plausable explanations.



#1-Waist gunners in WWII B17's had 27 feet of Machine gun shells on one belt in each box of ammo.



#2 The Yardage of a fully loaded cement truck. (I know, they are a lot larger now, but this phrase has been around a long time.

 

[illflem]

I've always heard the cement truck theory but I hang around concrete pours more than bombers. These guys don't think either definition is correct.

 

[SLVRBLT]

Steve-



Saw a TV show a ways back that was explaining the origins of old sayings.



According to this show, when WWII fighter pilots (flying Grumman Corsairs I think?) returned to base with empty . 50 cal. wing mounted machine guns, they sometimes said that they gave the enemy target "the whole nine yards".



They explained that each wing mounted machine gun had 27 feet of belted ammo so they were shooting nine yards of ammo. If I remember correctly, the Corsairs had 6 wing mounted . 50 cal. guns.



Dave

 

[Shovelhead]

See ask.yahoo.com/ask/19981012.html

 

[mimprevento]

.50 Cal belts

According to a History Channel special the phrase did originate as the result of 27 foot belts of MG ammo fed into the wing guns- a few short bursts would be "the whole nine yards"- I think this was standard in Mustangs, Corsairs and Thunderbolts- all eight guns would be a whole lot of yards into your butt at 30,000 feet!!!:--)

 

[illflem]

How about the whole Kit'n' Kabutal?

 

[Piersol]

three sheets to the wind

Where did this phrase come from?

 

[illflem]

three sheets to the wind

It means drunk. Three sheets to the wind is a nautical expression. If three sheets - which are the ropes holding the sails rather than the sails themselves - are loose and blowing about then the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor.



OR

A windmill with only three of it four sails(sheets) set. Because it would wobble with only three sails set it mimicked a drunkards walk.



No one knows about the whole Kit'n' Kabutal?