Why 142 yards?

[gopher]

planetdave said: ( no suggestion of the navy thang [ yardarms are ALWAYS yardarms cos yards is rope ])

I query this for 1 very poor reason - a chap on the antiques roadshow (yeah,yeah I know) brought in a v large model of a mast which was used to teach sailors rigging. He kept talking about the yardarms but only called one of them (the cross members) yardarms - and all the rest yards. IIRC he was an ex naval officer of some years (in the navy and in in age)

thats why I considered the above a (not well informed) opinion

(edited to remove too many letters)

>> Edited by gopher on Friday 9th May 23:20

[planetdave]

YardARMS =wood (it's the arms)
the arms hold the
yards (rope)
innit

[icamm]

iandbeech said: I can understand general distances like 50 or 100 yards etc - its the 142 yards precisely that gets me!!

But tey are not general. They should be exactly 50 and 100 yards, respectively, from whatever they are sign posting.

[icamm]

donatien said: A linked question - where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from?

Well according to the "World Wide Words" site www.quinion.com/words/articles/nineyards.htm it is a 1960's Americansim with no known explanation as to where it is from.


>> Edited by icamm on Monday 12th May 13:15

[JohnL]

A kilt is traditionally made of 8 yards of cloth

[JMGS4]

donatien said: A linked question - where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from?

Answer soon unless someone knows.

It isn't Anmerican football!

The amount of belted shells that fitted into a P52? Mustang as a reload!!!

[donatien]

JMGS4 said:

donatien said: A linked question - where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from?

Answer soon unless someone knows.

It isn't Anmerican football!

The amount of belted shells that fitted into a P52? Mustang as a reload!!!

Yep, it is a full strip of ammo as used in the Pacific. Not sure on the aircraft type but I suppose it was standard across several (Corsairs, etc). They were 27 feet or 9 yards long, and if a pilot got enthusiastic he would fire off the whole belt - hence the whole 9 yards

[mickey dee]

Saw a sign outside Truro warning of crossroads in 97yards
?
Strange Cornish folk