nine yards
The complete distance
Nine yards appears almost exclusively in the idiom the whole nine yards, meaning everything, the full extent, the maximum.
The phrase's origin is uncertain despite many folk etymologies involving fabric, ammunition belts, or concrete trucks.
She went the whole nine yards with the party decorations.
- all inFully committed, nothing reserved
- go all inWager everything available
- full tiltAt maximum velocity
- no holds barredWithout rules or limits
- totalityComplete aggregate amount
whole shebang · whole enchilada · lock stock and barrel · entirety · top to bottom · everything but the kitchen sink · wholeness · fullness · soup to nuts · hook line and sinker · comprehensiveness · universality · absoluteness · the works · inclusiveness · go the distance · full monty · all out
nine yardshalfway
At the midpoint
partway · incomplete · partial · fraction · bare minimum
nine yardshalf-assed
Inadequately or carelessly done
halfhearted · phoning it in · cutting corners · minimal effort · half measures
nine yardsbits and pieces
Assorted small items
fraction · portion · snippet · sampling · smattering
nine, yard, yards, ninth, nines, nineteen, ninety, ninetieth, nineteenth