[Ads-l] NON-Proto-Whole Nine Yards - Machinegun belts.

Tue Apr 12 19:29:25 UTC 2016

Among certain historical firearms, I happen to collect machineguns and I just sold a .50BMG "Ma Deuce."

I hope that the false etymology relating the 'whole nine yards' to ammunition belts has been sufficiently debunked, especially since the earliest belt-fed machines are likely the St Etienne of 1907 and the Maxim gun of 1908, followed soon after by a belt-fed Hotchkiss in 1909 and the Vickers in 1912.

Earlier raid-fire repeating firearms existed, such as the Gatling gun and 'organ guns,' which had a multitude of barrels grouped to aim in the same direction each loaded with one cartridge, and the array can be touched off sequentially. 19th century designs did not use belted ammunition; they either had box magazines, hoppers, or clips (i.e, actual clips, as opposed to how the word 'clip' is sometimes used even currently to refer to a box magazine.)

Other WWI and WW2 automatic firearms used ammunition either held on fixed strips like a rigid equivalent of a bandolier, or the more modern and familiar disintegrating link belt.

If anyone wants some approximate figures on how long a belt of 'n' rounds of commonly known ammunition of'x' caliber would be (.50BMG, .30-06, 7.92x57, etc.) I may be able to make some measurements and send these privately.

- GLL

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Reitan" <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 11:00:14 AM
Subject: Proto-Whole Nine Yards?

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Proto-Whole Nine Yards?
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I found what could be read as a proto-"Whole Nine Yards" quote.  It is cons=
istent with the "nine yards" as length of fabric theory:

"What does not know the clerk who understands your own needs better than yo=
u do yourself? . . . If you ask for eight yards of dress goods=2C he immedi=
ately assures you that 'it will require fully nine yards - that is=2C' (wit=
h an air of condescension) 'if you wish it made up in the fashion.'"

The West Shore (Portland=2C Oregon)=2C October 4=2C 1890=2C page 7. 		 	   =
		  =

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