Since usage of "the whole nine yards" implies some exaggeration--"all of
it, and then some, excessively so," I'll vote for the ironic reference
from American football, where, originally, it meant to fall just short
of the goal, use almost everything--to be one yard short of a first
down. A shift to meaning, simply, "all of it" is then not impossible.
And, isn't this just like archaeology? We have an artifact, a phrase,
in this case, with a dubious origin, not unknown, but with several
contending explanations. We have to weigh all the evidence, then guess,
and expect that someone else will coming along with, perhaps, a better
guess, in due course.
D. Babson
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Anita Cohen-Williams
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 8:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The whole nine yards
Yet another reference: http://www.yaelf.com/nineyards.shtml
t 04:17 PM 12/12/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>-
Anita Cohen-Williams
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