“The complete 9 yards” counts as a peculiarity amongst etymologists, due to the truth that its actual foundation isn’t confirmed by means of someone, as best hypotheses exist on its genesis.
Some hyperlink it to the Gatling gun, claiming that the word refers to the 9 yards lengthy ammo strip, that contained a number of magazines of ammunition for the weapon, whilst others hyperlink it to soccer, the place the attacking workforce has to advance 10 yards, and in the event that they achieve this in a single spherical, they take “The complete 9 yards” in a single cross.
Those claims are unsound regardless that, particularly the speculation at the Gatling gun, due to the truth that the expression seemed in print as early as 1855, within the 4th Quantity of “Yankee Notions”.
