Firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson debunks the popular myth that the idiom 'the whole nine yards' originates from the length of machine gun belts, particularly those used in aircraft. He presents evidence suggesting the phrase predates aviation machine guns and likely stems from a humorous anecdote in an 1855 Indiana newspaper about a shirt made with 'the whole nine yards' of material. While acknowledging the intuitive appeal of the firearms connection, Ferguson's research indicates no historical basis for it.
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