phrase🎓 English idiom
the whole nine yards
everything, all the way
What it means
Everything that is possible or available; the full extent of something, with nothing left out. People use it to describe going all the way or including every detail or option.
Words like “the whole nine yards” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- For the wedding they wanted the whole nine yards — band, flowers, and fireworks.
- He renovated the kitchen with new appliances, marble counters, the whole nine yards.
- If we're throwing a party, let's do the whole nine yards.
- She trained for the marathon by going the whole nine yards every weekend.
Where it comes from
An American expression first recorded in the mid-20th century; its literal source is genuinely disputed, with theories ranging from fabric length to ammunition belts, and none has been confirmed.
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