Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

Someone dressed to the nines is nattily attired, spiffily turned out, putting on the dog. What's the story behind dressed to the nines, and what does the number signify in this expression?

It turns out that this synonym for "smartly dressed" is clothed in obscurity. No one can claim to know its inspiration.

The original expression may have been dressed to the eyen, eyen being the OE plural of eye. This gives us the phrase dressed to the eyes, or completely and properly accoutered.

Or the nine included in this cliche may literally refer to the number nine, the highest numeral before the digits begin to recycle. Nine is mystically significant; a trinity of trinities, or "three threes." If the spiritual perfection of the number is implied in dressed to the nines, a fashion bellwether might feel regal indeed.

Nine as a numerical superlative appears in at least two other common English expressions: the whole nine yards and on cloud nine, but word watchers can only guess at the significance and meaning of this number.

Radio Script > Dressed to the Nines