ShopDressed to the nines
February 22, 2009 by The Judge
Filed under Words and Phrases
It means you are dressed very smartly or elaborately. This phrase dates from the 18th century, first reported in 1787 in the form ‘Twad please me to the nine.’
The dressed is a later addition, so the nine does not necessarily refer exclusively to clothing. The phrase is also often seen as up to the nines.
One explanation is that nine, in some numerological systems, connotes perfection. So that dressed to the nines means that you have achieved sartorial perfection.
Another explanation which relates more to clothing is that this saying refers to the amount of fabric required to make a quality suit - nine yards. This may seem like a lot of fabric, but enables the tailor to cut all the pieces in the same direction.
So next time you look in the mirror ask yourself; Am I dressed to the nines?
