In March of 1999 I read an email thread explaining the phrase “the whole nine yards” was a reference to a WWII fighter pilots in the South Pacific unloading all of his ammo (see “Ammo Belt” below). I had always heard it was a reference to a tailor and the amount of cloth used in making the standard kilt. In my effort to prove the WWII reference wrong I discovered through extensive www.google.com and www.dogpile.com web searches that nobody can actually pinpoint the true origin of this phrase.
There seem to be many possible explanations. The following are the explanations I think are most likely. Although, I don’t think we will ever know the true meaning. If anyone has any other theories please email me.
Quantity of fabric in a suit - All of it - full measure. It has been said that tailors used nine yards of material for top quality suits. Also related is “Dressed to the nines.”
Cement Truck Capacity - Concrete trucks have a nine cubic yards capacity. As the phrase pre-dates concrete trucks, it is hardly plausible explanation.
B-52 Bomb Capacity - World War II aircraft B-25 bomb bay held a capacity of nine square yards of bombs. Hence, give them the whole nine yards. I like this one. Researchers say the phrase had clearly been part of the language for some time before WW II.
Dog Fighter Ammo Belt - The length of RAF Spitfire’s machine gun bullet belts. The phrase “give them the whole nine yards” before battle certainly makes sense.
Ammo Belt - The length of ammunition belts in ground based anti-aircraft turrets. Again, another way of saying, “Let them have it!”
Naval Reference - The naval version is that the yards are yardarms. Large sailing ships had three masts, each with three yardarms. theory goes that ships in battle can continue changing direction as new sails are unfurled. Only when the last sail, on the ninth yardarm, is used do the enemy know which direction the ship is finally headed.
Nautical Theory - Old square-rigger ships with three masts could have three yards, that is, long spars tapered toward the ends that supported and spread the head of the square sails. When all three masts were in use, you’d have the whole nine yards.
Miner’s Carts - The term “The whole nine yards” comes from the mining in the mountains of West Virginia where the ore cars were nine cubic yards in volume and when filled the miner had done “the whole nine yards.”