Search results
- The origin of the expression “ dressed to the nines ” comes from the mid-19th century. The phrase derives from the old Scottish mythology surrounding the “ Nine Muses ” or “ Nine Worthies.”
People also ask
What does “dressed to the Nines” mean?
Where did the phrase 'dressed to the Nines' come from?
When was dressing to the Nines invented?
What is a 'to the Nines' Regiment?
Where did the phrase 'the Nines' come from?
What does nine mean in English?
To be ‘dressed to the nines’ is to be dressed flamboyantly or smartly. What's the origin of the phrase 'Dressed up to the nines'? – the quick version. The origin of the phrase “dressed to the nines” is uncertain.
To the nines" is an idiom meaning "to perfection" or "to the highest degree". In modern English usage, the phrase most commonly appears as "dressed to the nines" or "dressed up to the nines". [1] [2]
Mar 5, 2017 · The phrase dressed to the nines means dressed very elaborately or smartly. It is first recorded in The Penny Wedding , published in The Herald (New York) of 11 th March 1837: A circumstance of a very engaging nature occurred last week at a house in the Broadway, not a hundred miles from the Bowling Green, which almost realized the Arabian tale ...
Mar 12, 2024 · The phrase "dressed to the nines" has an ambiguous origin, and several theories attempt to explain its provenance. One common theory posits that it traces back to the intricately detailed uniforms of the 99th Wiltshire Regiment, an 18th-century British army unit known for its sartorial elegance.
Apr 18, 2014 · According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded instance of dressing to the nines was in the 1859 Dictionary of Slang, by John Camden Hotten where it states: “‘dressed up to the nines’, in a showy or recherché manner.”
Jan 4, 2016 · A search through old newspapers reveals that ‘dressed (up) to the nines’ was not in common usage until the 1850s, and was at first mainly used in Scotland and the north of England. Eric Partridge’s Dictionary of Historical Slang suggests that the number nine has connotations of perfection, perhaps from the nine ancient muses or the ...
Meaning. Very smartly dressed, in one’s best clothes. Examples. It’s my daughter’s wedding today. All the family will be dressed to the nines. Where did it originate?
