This article is about the phrase. For the film, see The Whole Nine Yards (film). For the show horse, see The Whole Nine Yards (horse).
"The whole nine yards" or "the full nine yards" is a colloquial American English phrase meaning "everything, the whole lot" or, when used as an adjective, "all the way."[1]
Its first usage was the punch line of an 1855 Indiana comedic short story titled "The Judge's Big Shirt."[2]
The earliest known idiomatic use of the phrase is from 1907 in Southern Indiana.[3] The phrase is related to the expression the whole six yards, used around the same time in Kentucky and South Carolina. Both phrases are variations on the whole ball of wax, first recorded in the 1880s.[4] They are part of a family of expressions in which an odd-sounding item, such as enchilada, shooting match, shebang or hog, is substituted for ball of wax.[4] The choice of the number nine may be related to the expression "To the nines" (to perfection).
Use of the phrase became widespread in the 1980s and 1990s. Much of the interest in the phrase's etymology can be attributed to New York Times language columnist William Safire, who wrote extensively on this question.
^Whole, adj., n., and adv., C2, compound whole nine yards, Oxford English Dictionary (OED Online version Marc 2013) (citing Aviation Week 7 March 1983, 46/2).
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference Nunberg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
and 27 Related for: The whole nine yards information
"Thewholenineyards" or "the full nineyards" is a colloquial American English phrase meaning "everything, thewhole lot" or, when used as an adjective...
sequel to the 2000 film TheWholeNineYards. It was based on characters created by Mitchell Kapner, who was the writer of the first film. The film was...
Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), TheWholeNineYards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), TheWhole Ten Yards (2004), and 17 Again (2009). Perry was co-creator...
possible; 'the works'". Similar North American phrases include "thewhole kit and caboodle", "thewholenineyards", "thewhole ball of wax", "thewhole enchilada"...
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (both 2003). He also appeared in movies such as Armageddon (1998), TheWholeNineYards (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001)...
Now and Then. The following year she appeared in Striptease (1996). She has worked with her father three times: in TheWholeNineYards in 2000, Hostage...
Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable, TheWholeNineYards (both 2000), Tears of the Sun (2003), Sin City (2005), The Expendables, Red...
studio title, which included films such as The Boondock Saints, Mercy, Battlefield Earth, TheWholeNineYards, Get Carter, Angel Eyes and Driven. Samaha...
Vikram Bhatt. The film's music was composed by Anu Malik, and the lyrics by Sameer. It has a plot loosely inspired by TheWholeNineYards, and features...
actor. He directed the comedy films Clue, Nuns on the Run, My Cousin Vinny, and TheWholeNineYards. He also co-created and co-wrote the television series...
her performance in the TV film The Executioner's Song (1982) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the film Desperately Seeking...
Snipes vehicle The Art of War and the Bruce Willis comedy TheWholeNineYards. Baeres testified that "Mr. Samaha said, 'If you want the other two pictures...
com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021. Mitchell, Elvis (February 18, 2000). "'TheWholeNineYards': a Schlumpy Dentist...
Bros. from 1999 through 2005, including TheWholeNineYards and its sequel, TheWhole Ten Yards, as well as The In-Laws. Franchise and its subsidiaries...
Rhapsody (1995), a criminal in The Usual Suspects (1995), a father in She's All That (1999), and a gangster in TheWholeNineYards (2000). His most substantial...
in the American Pie film series Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky, a character in the comedy film, TheWholeNineYards and its sequel, TheWhole Ten Yards. Organization...
story about a guy who catches his wife cheating, goes to prison and thewholenineyards. I paid homage to my prison years there.” Additionally, his life...
false, since most rely on nineyards when evidence suggests that the phrase began as "thewhole six yards". In addition, the phrase appeared in print as...
opening weekend behind My Dog Skip, The Next Best Thing and TheWholeNineYards. Ultimately, the box office gross was $15.9 million for a budget of $16 million...
co-founded. Bhatt is the grandson of Vijay Bhatt from (Gujarat, Palitana), one of the pioneers of the Indian film industry, and the son of cinematographer...
finishing second behind TheWholeNineYards. Hanging Up opened in 2,618 theatres at an average of exactly $6,000. It dropped out of the top 10 in its third...