what is the meaning of the idiom dressed to the nines
Samira asks: Why do we say "dressed to the nines" when someone's dressed up?
Co-ordinate to the Oxford English Dictionary, the commencement recorded instance of dressing to the nines was in the 1859 Dictionary of Slang, past John Camden Hotten where it states: "'dressed up to the nines', in a showy or recherché mode."
However, there is at least one earlier documented instance, which seems to imply the expression was common several decades before 1859. This tin be constitute in The Progressive Dictionary of the English Language published in 1835. Nether the definition for "Nine" information technology states:
To the nines, to perfection; generally applied to clothes, and sometimes implying excess in dressing… he or she was dressed up to the nines.
Equally you lot might have gathered from this, it appears "to the nines" was around before it was associated with wear. For instance, over a century before the get-go documented reference of "dressed to the nines," nosotros accept the Epistle to Ramsay by William Hamilton (1719), where he stated,
The bonny Lines therin chiliad sent me, How to the nines they did content me.
From this, we can see how i would come up with the expression "dressed to the nines" from the existing expression more or less meaning "perfect." Further, we tin safely discount such frequently put forth conjectures that the expression "dressed to the nines" came from tailors using nine yards of cloth to make a finely crafted conform of vesture (which is also frequently put forth as the origin of "the whole nine yards," which we encompass the origin of in total here.) That'southward not to mention the fact that that is an insane amount of fabric for only ane adapt.
Withal another commonly put along caption nosotros can then safely ignore is that it came from the 99th Wiltshire Regiment. Effectually the mid-19th century, this regiment became known as "The Nines" and were particularly noted for their perfect uniform and clothes. In this example, both "dressed to the nines" and "to the nines" were around long before this regiment earned this reputation. So it's likely they got this nickname because of the already existing expression, rather than inspiring it.
Then the real question is where did "to the nines" come from? We know from various documented references that this goes dorsum to at least the early 18th century, with most of the primeval uses being in Scottish works such equally the to a higher place quotedEpistle to Ramsay by William Hamilton, and several decades later in Poem on Pastoral Poetry by Robert Burns (who is also partially responsible for "Auld Lang Syne"):
Thou paints auld nature to the nines,
In thy sweet Caledonian lines…
Note he is describing how perfectly 1 illustrates in writing. It's possible that "to the nines" is referencing the 9 Muses of Arts and Learning (Clio, Erato, Calliope, Melpomene, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Urania, and Thalia). In that location are several documented instances of "those old 9 which rhymers invocate" (1600 Shakes. Sonn. xxxviii), or "the sacred wealth of all the Ix" (1635 F. Quarles Emblemes v. iii.), or in the 1687 work The Poetick Miscellenies of Mr. John Rawlett (among others):
The learned tribe whose works the World practise bless,
Finish those works in some recess;
Both the Philosopher and Divine,
And Poets virtually who still make their address
In private to the Nine.
Thus, in this origin theory "to the nines" is and so perfect information technology would be worthy of, or directly inspired past, the Nine Muses. Besides Robert Burns using "to the nines" referencing writing, in the aforementioned 1719 work, the Epistle to Ramsay by William Hamilton, this too has "Ix Muses" connotations, again referencing someone's well-crafted writing: "The bonny Lines therin 1000 sent me, How to the nines they did content me."
The Ix Muses had been for some time commonly referenced by poets with regards to writing. And then possibly these 2 earliest documented references of "to the nines," in both cases referring to aesthetic writing, hints that the expression originally did indeed derive from referencing the 9 Muses.
In nonetheless some other theory proposed by etymologists, "to the nines" is thought to be originally simply a slurred way of proverb "to then anes," meaning "for the one (occasion)" or "for the 1 (purpose)," and it merely evolved from there.
Given the Scottish were evidently the start to utilize "to the nines" what do they say about the origin? The Scottish National Dictionary proposes that it originated from ninepins- with bowling a nine being a perfect throw, simply this origin theory isn't backed by whatsoever show and on many points strains credibility.
So in the terminate, "dressed to the nines" is nigh likely merely an offshoot of the previous "to the nines" expression, more or less meaning "perfect" or "to perfection." Where "to the nines" came from exactly is a scrap of a mystery. The "9 Muses" origin theory seems to take the strongest instance. But that doesn't necessarily mean information technology's correct as the evidence is still scant.
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Bonus Fact:
- In the mid-16th century there was an expression "upon the nines" meaning "at once" as illustrated in the 1560 work Poems, past Alexander Scott, who was besides Scottish: "The moir degest and grave, The grydiar to grip it; The nycest to ressave, Vpon the nynis volition nip information technology."
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