Feb 04, 2023
Well, it is that time again. Time for the new puzzler.
This one is a very simple puzzler, by request. The last one was very challenging, and very automotive in nature. And while I loved it, I know some listeners out there might want an easier one.
So here it is.
This is an expression that most people have heard since their childhood. A very common expression.
"The whole nine yards."
So, where does this expression come from? No cheating now. No googling this. We tested this on kids and adults and there were a bunch of fun thoughts as to where this comes from, but none of them are right. One answer was that is comes from football, but that isn't right. And the other was maybe it comes from Medieval times when the servants had to cut through the yards to get to the castle... That isn't it either.
So, where does this expression come from?
Answer time, my friends.
So, the phrase, "The whole nine yards."
I've been saying this and using this term for years, and I never knew what it meant. So the puzzler was very simple. Where does this expression come from?
So here it is. When we think of yards, we think of a linear measurement. Right? The yard. Linear. But you don't think in terms of volume. Had you been thinking volumetrically, you would have had a shot at figuring out the answer.
The nine yards in the expression 'the whole nine yards' refers to the amount of concrete that a cement truck can carry. They hold nine cubic yards of concrete. So, when you order cement, they ask you, "Do you want the whole nine yards?" And this means, do you want all the cement the truck can carry.
Good one, huh?
