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From: markb@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Mark Biggar)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Anyone know where this saying came from?
Message-ID: <1703@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Jan-85 13:19:58 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1703
Posted: Tue Jan 22 13:19:58 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 06:56:34 EST
References: <39@gitpyr.UUCP>
Reply-To: markb@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Mark Biggar)
Distribution: net
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 15
Summary: 

In article <39@gitpyr.UUCP> roy@gitpyr.UUCP (Roy J. Mongiovi) writes:
>How about the saying "the whole nine yards"?
>Does anyone know what it was derived from?
>
>I mean, shouldn't that be 10 yards?
>-- 
>Roy J. Mongiovi.	Office of Computing Services.		User Services.

This saying come from the fact that a standard dump truck (or cement truck
I don't remember which) carries 9 cubic yards of dirt (or cement).
Thus, "the whole nine yards" means you want the total contents of the
truck load, and has evolved into a saying meaning "the whole thing".

Mark Biggar
{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,akgua,sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!markb