All the way; with everything done completely or thoroughly.
Etymology:
- During WWII, U.S. Airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say, I gave them the whole nine yards, meaning they used up all of their ammunition.
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Submitted on July 23, 2010
Additional definitions for 'the whole nine yards':
| the whole nine yards | And everything. Often used, like etc., to finish out a list. |
Translation
Find a translation for the the whole nine yards phrase in other languages:
التسعة ياردات كاملة
toda la historia
tüm dokuz yardım
نوشاده میں بھرپور
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"the whole nine yards." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/the-whole-nine-yards_7435>.
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