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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2006 : 17:20:29 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Jeez, H., just do the ultimate hijack next time and ask about the origins of the phrase "the whole nine yards."
Hey! You participated in the hijacking, which I'm pretty sure makes you an unindicted co-conspirator. This wasn't all my fault you know. 
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2006 : 18:45:33 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
Hey! You participated in the hijacking, which I'm pretty sure makes you an unindicted co-conspirator. This wasn't all my fault you know.
Trying to spread the blame around isn't going to help you this time. Not after you explained your intent with "They would go ballistic," and a sneering, raised-eyebrows smiley. I'm sure that if I hadn't stopped you, you would have continued on from "the Infinite Hotel" to "the Missing Dollar," and then "the Monty Hall Problem," and then gone straight for the throat with "the Three Words Ending in -gry." You should be ashamed of yourself. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2006 : 22:49:20 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
Hey! You participated in the hijacking, which I'm pretty sure makes you an unindicted co-conspirator. This wasn't all my fault you know.
Trying to spread the blame around isn't going to help you this time. Not after you explained your intent with "They would go ballistic," and a sneering, raised-eyebrows smiley. I'm sure that if I hadn't stopped you, you would have continued on from "the Infinite Hotel" to "the Missing Dollar," and then "the Monty Hall Problem," and then gone straight for the throat with "the Three Words Ending in -gry." You should be ashamed of yourself.
Oh, the Montey Hall problem is some evil voodoo....
But I am duly ashamed. It won't happen again. Or at least for awhile. I can promise a week.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 06/02/2006 22:51:57 |
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Pernicious
New Member
35 Posts |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 05:29:17 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Jeez, H., just do the ultimate hijack next time and ask about the origins of the phrase "the whole nine yards."
Must resist......
Ah nuts to it.
Origins of the phrase "the whole nine yards"
Alledgedly, during the second world war, fighter aircraft 50 caliber wing mounted machine gun ammo belts were 27 feet long. If an aircraft expended its whole magazine at a target, it was said that he gave it the whole nine yards.
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 07:11:58 [Permalink]
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That one is "almost certainly false," Val:The explanation that is currently circulating around the internet most frequently is that nine yards was the length of a belt of machine gun ammunition carried by a WWII fighter plane. To "give it the whole nine yards" was to expend all of one's ammo. This explanation is almost certainly false. For one thing, the type of fighter varies with the teller, sometimes Spitfires in the Battle of Britain, sometimes varying American fighters in the South Pacific. Another reason to doubt it is that ammunition is either counted in rounds or by weight. It is never measured in length of a belt. That piece concludes:In summary, this is just one of those idiomatic phrases that defy explanation. This may not be satisfying, but it is not uncommon in English. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 07:44:15 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
That one is "almost certainly false," Val:The explanation that is currently circulating around the internet most frequently is that nine yards was the length of a belt of machine gun ammunition carried by a WWII fighter plane. To "give it the whole nine yards" was to expend all of one's ammo. This explanation is almost certainly false. For one thing, the type of fighter varies with the teller, sometimes Spitfires in the Battle of Britain, sometimes varying American fighters in the South Pacific. Another reason to doubt it is that ammunition is either counted in rounds or by weight. It is never measured in length of a belt. That piece concludes:In summary, this is just one of those idiomatic phrases that defy explanation. This may not be satisfying, but it is not uncommon in English.
Yes, but it is fun.
I tried to indicate the dubious at best nature of the claim by saying alledgedly.
It's like the recent commercial I saw with Adam from Mythbusters and Lance Armstrong.
The explosion was priceless. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 09:54:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Valiant Dancer
It's like the recent commercial I saw with Adam from Mythbusters and Lance Armstrong.
The explosion was priceless.
That can be seen here, fifth from the left. My favorite is actually second from left, with Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs." I find the Jeff Corwin ad (third from left) amusing, as well. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 04:55:52 [Permalink]
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| Shoot. A full third of the day is gone, and nothing from the Anti-Christ. Well, perhaps at 7:06 (=6:66?) this evening, he'll make a show... |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 10:22:42 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Um, the clouds here are moving in reverse to the direction they normally float...
Interesting, interesting.... but, what of Pastor Harry?
Aren't we supposed to get some sort of revelation or delirium tremen, or something from the good pastor today? Half of the day's gone, and not a squeak to be heard.
Well, he has 'till midnight, I suppose, but I feel my faith in him slipping away.....
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 10:37:24 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Um, the clouds here are moving in reverse to the direction they normally float...
Perhaps Pastor Harry has fallen down and cracked his head open. You know how nature abhors a vaccuum.
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 12:11:11 [Permalink]
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I have given the "Whole nine yards" problem serious thought and have concluded that whilst the WWII figher plane explination is possible I believe that it is not correct.
The actual origin as decided by me is this, when the ST. Lawrence Seaway was brought up to its current standards of measurement it allowed for a ship with a 27 foot draft, depth being more of an issue than width in the channel and so a maximum sized ship was said to be 'the whole nine yards'. Man Im good. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 12:47:02 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by BigPapaSmurf
I have given the "Whole nine yards" problem serious thought and have concluded that whilst the WWII figher plane explination is possible I believe that it is not correct.
The actual origin as decided by me is this, when the ST. Lawrence Seaway was brought up to its current standards of measurement it allowed for a ship with a 27 foot draft, depth being more of an issue than width in the channel and so a maximum sized ship was said to be 'the whole nine yards'. Man Im good.
The expression obviously has its origin in Canadian football.
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 14:08:45 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
Aren't we supposed to get some sort of revelation or delirium tremen, or something from the good pastor today? Half of the day's gone, and not a squeak to be heard.
Well, he has 'till midnight, I suppose, but I feel my faith in him slipping away.....
Not like we expected anything different, , but the Pastor giveth a total cop-out answer. According to the site, quote:
Back in 1982, The Lord revealed to me [i.e. Pastor Harry] who Antichrist (The Beast) [sic] is. For the next 24 years, I watched his following grow into a global cult and I realized this person truly is The Antichrist, The Son of Satan, the "awaited one" and many are being deceived.
He goes on to say that he won't be a politician, but some world religious leader. Moreover, in less than a month he's going to-- get this-- united the world's religions. In less than a month.
Who is this person? George W. Bush? Pat Robertson? Kirk Cameron? David Beckham? No! Silly Rabbit, it's Maitreya.
Who? Maitreya! Of course! The Antichrist-- a mysterious unnamed and otherwise unknown being who will make him- or herself known at some unknown point in the future, is really Maitreya-- a mysterious unnamed and otherwise unknown being who will make him- or herself known at some unknown point in the future. Great. Thanks so much for clearing that up, Pastor Harry! |
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