The newest Smithsonian magazine has a good article about Eisenhower and his actions around D Day. It says "ground crews worked through the night loading bombs, rockets and long belts of ammunition into combat aircraft-the belts of .50-caliber ammunition for the heavy machine guns of the American bombers were 27 feet long (whence the expression the "whole nine yards")....Now you know the rest of the story.
"The Whole Nine Yards"
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Cool, I did not know that!!!!!!
Here is more on it...........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whole_Nine_Yards
Here is more on it...........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whole_Nine_Yards
9 yards
I got a bunch of wood ammo boxes with 40's and early 50's dates that had 2 cardboard boxes of belted 50 cal ammo in them.These were for use in fighter aircraft.They came from the ordinance depot near here.Look like brand new,2 metal straps around them with wingnuts to hold them closed.
I got a bunch of wood ammo boxes with 40's and early 50's dates that had 2 cardboard boxes of belted 50 cal ammo in them.These were for use in fighter aircraft.They came from the ordinance depot near here.Look like brand new,2 metal straps around them with wingnuts to hold them closed.
Whole 9 yards
Had an old sailer tell me it was a nautical expression. three mast ships had three sails apiece. sails hung from the yards (horizontal wood beams).
giving it the full 9 yards predated belt feds.
I did tell him about the 27 feet in the .50 cal belts though. he wasn't impressed with my knowledge, but most people aren't.
brian
Had an old sailer tell me it was a nautical expression. three mast ships had three sails apiece. sails hung from the yards (horizontal wood beams).
giving it the full 9 yards predated belt feds.
I did tell him about the 27 feet in the .50 cal belts though. he wasn't impressed with my knowledge, but most people aren't.
brian
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Uhm, there are others as well.
Takes "the whole nine yards" (of cloth)to make a good tailored suit. If a concrete truck was emptied, it was "give me the whole nine yards." etc. Also heard the 27 feet of .50 cal. as well. Interesting stuff for sure.
Takes "the whole nine yards" (of cloth)to make a good tailored suit. If a concrete truck was emptied, it was "give me the whole nine yards." etc. Also heard the 27 feet of .50 cal. as well. Interesting stuff for sure.
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The Whole Nine Yards
The best example of the Whole Nine Yards, was the Bruce Willis movie of the same name with Amanda Peet when she showed the gangster "The Whole Nine Yards" while Bruce Willis shot him.
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The best example of the Whole Nine Yards, was the Bruce Willis movie of the same name with Amanda Peet when she showed the gangster "The Whole Nine Yards" while Bruce Willis shot him.
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Western Front WWI for one of the troops dying.
10 yards
Currently, cement trucks carry 10 yards. yes I am sure, I recently bought over 100 trucks of concrete for the new factory floor.
Brian
Currently, cement trucks carry 10 yards. yes I am sure, I recently bought over 100 trucks of concrete for the new factory floor.
Brian
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I heard that back during the early days of aviation,,lots of the aircraft crashed,, sometimes causing damage to the structures out in the country where the training was taking place,, when a plane crashed on private property, ie a farm, the government would pay the farmer to repair damages,, sometimes "buying the farm"
Just a theory,,, http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/farm.asp
Just a theory,,, http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/farm.asp
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Correct, for modern trucks.
yep, current trucks do carry 10, but older trucks carried nine. The phrase has been around for a long time. Trust me, I'm Italian. And we know all about mixing up the mud. Here is one, the phrase "hell on wheels." In the olden days (again) first class was up near the engine of a train. The heavy locomotive added weight, so the first car behind it rode pretty smooth. The heavy exhaust was pushed to the far back of the train. Conversely, the last car before the caboose was the worst ride. Bumpy, noisy, and the train exhaust would smother the car. The last car was also then the cheapest fare. So, the gunslingers, prostitutes, low lifes, scalliwags, rapscallions, tatterdemallions, and ne'er-do-wells would always ride in the last car on the trains. What did the train conductors call the last car? "hell on wheels." Out.
yep, current trucks do carry 10, but older trucks carried nine. The phrase has been around for a long time. Trust me, I'm Italian. And we know all about mixing up the mud. Here is one, the phrase "hell on wheels." In the olden days (again) first class was up near the engine of a train. The heavy locomotive added weight, so the first car behind it rode pretty smooth. The heavy exhaust was pushed to the far back of the train. Conversely, the last car before the caboose was the worst ride. Bumpy, noisy, and the train exhaust would smother the car. The last car was also then the cheapest fare. So, the gunslingers, prostitutes, low lifes, scalliwags, rapscallions, tatterdemallions, and ne'er-do-wells would always ride in the last car on the trains. What did the train conductors call the last car? "hell on wheels." Out.
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My Uncle's dad opened a General Store on the plains of Western Kansas in the late 1880s or early 90's. I have a lot of the store cabinets and such out of it and I got the yardgood rack. He always said the rack each held a full bolt and back then you got 9 yards in each bolt. That was the story I got from an old timmer. Hotch
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I certainly don't mean to argue with you and maybe different areas did things different. But, I got several pictures of trains in front of my 1887 Santa Fe RR depot and cattle cars and box cars are ALWAYS right behind the engine and passenger cars are next and combo is last. An old timer said the reason for this was that cinders were hot close to the engine and cattle and box cars had tin roofs. Passenger and combo cars had painted canvas roofs and the embers would damage them so yo always had to smell the cattle cars infront of you when you rode the train. Hotch
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Could be Hotch.
Not sure Hotch, but we must have some railroad buffs here for sure. Funny that the cattle cars would be roofs that would be metal, wouldn't that mean very hot temps. for them, (cattle) like in Texas? And, who would want to smell the stank of manure in the passenger cars following behind? Especially if you were paying for a "First Class" ticket? So, any input railroad buffs/historians? Thanks.
Not sure Hotch, but we must have some railroad buffs here for sure. Funny that the cattle cars would be roofs that would be metal, wouldn't that mean very hot temps. for them, (cattle) like in Texas? And, who would want to smell the stank of manure in the passenger cars following behind? Especially if you were paying for a "First Class" ticket? So, any input railroad buffs/historians? Thanks.
And one of the best quotes ever (from Frankie Figs): "You know, I can't think of nothing finer than a fine naked woman holding a gun. And baby you is all kinds of fine."
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Sounds good Zoom.
Reminds me of the scene I posted about the film "Matewan." Right before the feces are about to REALLY hit the fan, (union coal miners pitted against the company "Pinkertons") the sherrif of the town stops, pauses, and casually remarks, "Yep, looks like there's gonna be some shootin' . . ." The nest few scenes involve a pretty extensive "lead fest." Out.
Reminds me of the scene I posted about the film "Matewan." Right before the feces are about to REALLY hit the fan, (union coal miners pitted against the company "Pinkertons") the sherrif of the town stops, pauses, and casually remarks, "Yep, looks like there's gonna be some shootin' . . ." The nest few scenes involve a pretty extensive "lead fest." Out.
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Well, in my area Panzerfaust, everything was mixed daily, the cattle cars would head east toward Kansas City double heading through the hills. When the branch line hit the main line they would drop off the passenger and combination cars put two sets of cattle trains togather and add a drover's caboose so cowboys could tend the cattle on the way, then the passenger cars and combine would be hooked to empty cattle and box cars down the branch line heading Southwest. This went on until the end of cattle cars on the Santa Fe about 1971. Clear up in the mid 60s you could still find wood passenger and combines with open platforms and in the 50-65 foot range in daily service. Even into the 70's anyone could buy a ticket to ride the caboose and since lots of people down there still did not have cars it was a nice service. There was actually still some wheat being hauled to the elevators with wagon and teams in the mid 1950s. I managed to find two wooden cabooses down here, no steel in them at all and one has animal hair insulation between the walls. BOth were gutted for bunkhouses on ranches so I have got one up on trucks again and going to use it for a guest house. Hotch
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Thanks Hotch.
Good history Hotch. My area would be the "B & M" line, and these guys are/were hauling Xmas trees, not cattle. Somebody on here has got to be a big train guy. The caboose stories are a great find. Sad to see the great days of steam fading away.
Good history Hotch. My area would be the "B & M" line, and these guys are/were hauling Xmas trees, not cattle. Somebody on here has got to be a big train guy. The caboose stories are a great find. Sad to see the great days of steam fading away.
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Someplace I got a picture of my depot in 1918 with a train load of guys going off to war, they are hanging out windows, waiving goodbye and such. The railroads played such a big part in the wars of the past, sad to see times change
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