Re: Going the whole nine yards... Yeah!!
Wolfspirit, on host 216.13.40.188
Wednesday, October 20, 1999, at 05:57:32
Re: Going the whole nine yards... Yeah!! posted by Howard on Wednesday, October 20, 1999, at 02:53:41:
> > > > > > Wolfspirit > > > > > > "23 skid... huh?" > > > > That's right. Don't think about it, move along, nothing to see here. > > > > Stephen
Bah. I've got Toydarian blood; your stupid Jedi mind tricks will not work on meeeee.
> I agree with the nine yards of machine gun bullets. > > I also agree with the three loose ropes, but I've never been able to figure out why a rope is called a sheet.
Howard, do you mean that you agree with Brunnen-G's nautical "whole 9 yards" explanation... or do you mean that you agree with the "3 sheets to the wind" explanation?
I still respectfully disagree with the ammo box explanation. The original phrase, before it got mutated, was "GOING the whole 9 yards," and not "Giving the..." or "Using the..." entire 27 feet of bullets. I know, the bullets description sounds much more exciting. But like I said, the origins of the expression are currently lost in the shrouds of time.
Of course, anyone can provide proof by locating the earliest possible newspaper/bulletin/book reference giving the phrase in its proper context.
> But 23 skiddo came from a New Years party in 1923 where some drunk welcomed in 1924 by yelling "23 skiddo." And that's the truth, dagnabit.
I believe ya, gosh durn it. Thankee-san.
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