Today's FrankieFunFact 1/14/2015

WWII Navy Hellcat Fighter

The whole nine yards is a phrase used to describe maximum effort, or giving without reserving anything. For example, if one gives an extravagant gift to someone, people may say, "wow, he went the whole nine yards with that one!"

Since the game of football is measured in "yards," one might think that the term came from that sport. But, they would be wrong. It's actually borrowed from the military. During WWII, fighter planes were equipped with 27 feet of .50 caliber ammunition used in their machine guns. If the pilot were to engage the enemy and use all of his ammunition he would have used the full 27 feet or gone the whole nine yards.