"[T]he entire nine yards" [3/62]; possible a couple earlier ones

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

I'm writing to report a (verified) 1962 sighting of "the entire nine
yards," but I wanted to also note that the same periodical *may*
contain a 1956 usage of "the whole nine-yards" (with hyphen) and a
1957 usage of "the whole nine yards."  I've made interlibrary loan
requests so that I can confirm the sightings from the 1950s, but I'll
offer apologies now in case it turns out I've muddled this up.  (Far
below you'll find the relevant links to Google Books snippet views,
though.)

In the meantime, here's that appearance of "the entire nine yards" in
the March, 1962 issue (Volume 18, Issue 2) of the *Kentucky Happy
Hunting Ground*, a publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and
Wildlife Resources and the predecessor of *Kentucky Afield*.  (This
form now joins the other two usages we've found from 1962.)

"Most anglers will tell you he has six or seven baits he uses more
than all the others combined, yet he would be lost without the entire
nine yards.  It might be said there's a feeling of security involved
in carrying the whole load on every outing."  [From Ferd Holtmann,
"Plugs and Bugs," p. 6.]

I don't know anything about Ferd Holtmann other than that he was on
staff at KHHG and wrote several pieces each month for the magazine (at
least, several that bore his name).  For what it's worth, a Ferd
Holtmann was Sports Director at WFKY (radio) in Frankfort in 1959;
perhaps he also moonlighted for the Department of Fish and Wildlife
Resources.  (I suspect that another Ferd Holtmann -- more
specifically, J. Ferd Holtmann, who was associated with railroading --
was the father of the fellow who wrote for KHHG.)

-- Bonnie

Possible 1956 sighting:

http://books.google.com/books?lr=&id=T4AeAQAAMAAJ&dq=editions%3AOFlK_JgAw60C&q=nine+yards#search_anchor

Possible 1957 sighting:

http://books.google.com/books?lr=&id=kIAeAQAAMAAJ&dq=editions%3AOFlK_JgAw60C&q=nine+yards#search_anchor

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