The Whole Nine Yards

Watch out for 'Whole Nine Yards' our 5.0% Hoppy Golden Ale – two stories are behind the name – you choose!

The Oxford English Dictionary places the earliest published use of the phrase in 1855 from a comedic short story titled "The Judge's Big Shirt."

The humorous anecdote follows Judge A., who regularly neglected packing a second shirt during his travels. He arrives in Raleigh, North Carolina as part of a business trip. While hoping to find a shirt to borrow, he hints to his lawyer friend (Mr. C.) that he needs one in order to attend a prominent party the following evening. (The narrator clarifies that ready-made shirts were not purchasable "in those days", likely setting the story in the early 19th or late 18th century.)

To teach Judge A. a lesson, Mr. C. specifically orders a comically large shirt and promises to have it delivered before the party. Minutes before their departure, the shirt arrives; Judge A. initially praises the craftsmanship, then struggles to pull it on, until he finds himself enshrouded in a shirt five yards long and four yards broad. He is unable to see beyond the collar and expresses his astonishment at the "monstrous shirt".

At the punch line of the story, Mr. C pretends to be innocent of his prank and exclaims, "What a silly, stupid woman! I told her to get just enough to make three shirts; instead of making three, she has put the whole nine yards into one shirt!

Our second tale relates to the length of the ammunition belt feeding the guns to the WWII B17 ‘Flying Fortress’ bombers – leading to the expression, ‘giving them the whole nine yards’.

Which version do you prefer? One to ponder over a pint we think! 🍻