Discovery on "Whole Nine Yards"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>However, I have now found what I believe is the second oldest occurrence
>of "whole nine yards" (Elaine Shepard's 1967 Vietnam-related book _Doom
>Pussy_ is the oldest known).  Newspaperarchive.com yields the following:
>
>1969 _Playground Daily News_ (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) 25 Apr. 15
>(advertisement)  This home has the "whole nine yards" in convenience.
>
>It is of course possible that "whole nine yards" could have disseminated
>from a Vietnam origin to Florida in the three or more years between when
>it was first used in the Vietnam War and 1969.  However, 1969 is early
>enough to suggest that the term may have originated in the United States
>rather than in Indochina.

Note that Fort Walton Beach is immediately adjacent to Eglin AFB.

The evidence available (although inadequate) so far suggests an origin in
the USAF, IMHO.

-- Doug Wilson