
IdiomDaily Life
English
go the whole nine yards
Meaning: To do something completely, holding nothing back.
Example: “For her birthday, he went the whole nine yards: balloons, band and fireworks.”
Origin: The term comes from the World War II era where a fighter pilot's chain of ammunition was twenty-seven feet long (or nine yards). So when he fired all this on the target, he said "I gave it the whole nine yards" -- meaning, he gave it all he had.
More English idioms
- Look for a needle in a haystack To search for something you have almost no chance of finding, because the thing is tiny a…
- Know where the shoe pinches To know exactly where the real trouble lies.
- Take the wrong sow by the ear To go after the wrong target, or blame the wrong person.
- have the blues To feel sad or depressed.
- stand someone up To fail to show up for a date or appointment, leaving the other person waiting.
- have bigger fish to fry To have more important things to deal with.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- Mono no aware A bittersweet awareness of impermanence — the gentle sadness and appreciation that arise…
- Ikigai The thing that makes you want to get out of bed — the intersection of what you love, what…
- Ma The meaningful negative space between things — a deliberate pause in music, an empty room…
Keep exploring