[Antedating] "All nine yards" [1962]

[Shapiro, Fred]

Bonnie,

Great discovery, the earliest known citation that sheds any light, however cryptic, on the development of "whole nine yards."  Can I ask which database or other method yielded this citation?

Fred Shapiro


________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Bonnie Taylor-Blake [taylor-blake at NC.RR.COM]
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2007 8:12 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: [Antedating] "All nine yards" [1962]

>From Gale F. Linster's letter to the editor, "Constructive Criticism," *Car
Life* Vol. 9, Issue 11 (December 1962), Pg. 2:

"When you decide what extra cost equipment the American car buyer would like
to hear about, each of the models tested should be so equipped.  Your staff
of testers cannot fairly and equitably appraise the Chevrolet Impala sedan,
with all nine yards of goodies, against the Plymouth Savoy which has
straight shift and none of the mechanical conveniences which are quite
common now.  The cars tested should be as nearly alike as possible."

------------------

(PDFs of the page containing the bibliographic information and of the page
containing the letter itself are available should anyone be interested.)

Mr. Linster was in Decatur, Georgia, when he wrote this letter.  I'm
reasonably sure I've located him (or at least found a way to locate him
through a former close business associate).

-- Bonnie

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