Nine Yards (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Stephen Goranson]

FWIW, I doubt explanations of the "nine yards" that use identical units of
linear measure. To use an example (perhaps fairly typical of early
ones) that I
think so far has not appeared on this list--misdated at Google Books but a
digital copy available at UMichican library:

1970 April. The Approach; the Naval Aviation Safety Review. v.15
(1969-70) page
7:
In addition to having enough fuel you should be familiar with the geography of
the field, the obstructions, lighting, runway servicing facilities - in short
_the whole nine yards_.
http://sdr.lib.umich.edu/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015024193610;page=root;view=image;size=100;seq=519;num=7

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson


Quoting "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>:

> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
>
> In the writings of Robert A. Heinlein, you can find reference to a bawdy
> poem/ballad called "Rangy Lil".  Heinlein scholar Robert James has been
> researching this poem and other similarly-mentioned ballads in
> Heinlein's works, to see if they are "real" or sprang from Heinlein's
> own imagination (apparently there were some of each).
>
> Given the indications that "full/whole nine yards" may have origins in a
> bawdy Andrew Mactavish joke, James' post to the alt.fan.heinlein
> newsgroup (under the subject "Rangy Lil") may be of interest:
>
>
>
> ********Quote starts*******************************
> I think I've found a piece of the genuine "Rangy Lil" poem.  If
> somebody has more of it, I'd like to know:
>
>
> This is from a book called "The Cure of Folly" -- by Gordon Warme...
>
>
> "The poem was about a copulating contest between two legendary
> specialists in the art from the far northern reaches of Canada, Rangy
> Lil and Pete.  Here are a few fragments from mid-contest:
>
>
> Lil tried shunts, and double shunts, / And tricks unknown to common
> cunts, / But Pete kept reeling out more hose, / 'Til through the
> portals of Lil's ass, / Nine feet of slimy penis passed. / They hung
> Lil's pants on the shithouse door, / In honour of that gallant whore."
> ********Quote ends*******************************
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.heinlein/browse_frm/thread/3b8bc4
> 1ef24ee97f/97268993e0049450?hl=en#97268993e0049450
>
> One observation from reading the thread.  Poems like this have many
> versions.  No doubt this one was told or sung with "nine yards" instead
> of "nine feet".
> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org