Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihu1m.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!ihu1m!gadfly
From: gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: The magic number nine.
Message-ID: <388@ihu1m.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 10:09:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1m.388
Posted: Tue Apr 16 10:09:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 01:29:43 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 19

--
"Nine" crops up a lot in English idiom.  The etymology of "the
whole nine yards" was dealt with about a month ago.  Here are
two others I've often wondered about:

"Dressed to the nines."  Where did this come from?

"Possession is nine points of the law."  I asked about this
one (often misstated as "Possession is nine tenths of the law.")
many months back but got no substantial replies.  How many
points of the law are there (maybe there are 10)?  What are those
nine, and what's so special about them?
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  16 Apr 85 [27 Germinal An CXCIII]
ken perlow       *****   *****
(312)979-7188     ** ** ** **
..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken   *** ***