"the whole nine yards" in ADS-L Digest - 4 Mar 2002 to 5 Mar 2002 (#2002-39)

[Pierce Presley]

During the heady spring of 2000, I went looking for a kilt to wear at my
wedding that fall and came across a Web site that claimed the phrase
"the whole nine yards" came from the amount of tartan material required
for a big man's great kilt. (The great kilt is worn wrapped around the
shoulders as well as the waist, and so is longer.) This would seem to
antedate 1966 by quite a bit, but I can't vouch for it authenticity.