There are certain occasions where we all dress to impress, and lots of instances where we do things to the very of our ability, striving for perfection. Most of the time, we do these things for special occasions- if we have a fancy dinner to go to, an important visitor coming, etc. In Spanish, they would say these actions are “de punta en blanco,” or literally, they are “of a white tip.”
This one is trickier than usual (and hard to explain- so you can put some of the blame on me), but can you come up with an English equivalent?
“To the nines”
When someone dresses to the nines, he or she is usually adorned in their best clothes, jewelry, shoes, accessories, etc. We know that when someone/something is “to the nines” it’s pretty much as good as it can get.
I know I usually say that the idioms don’t make sense, but these two are particularly off the wall. I didn’t even understand where the English one came from (why 9?) much less the Spanish one. But I did some research and here’s what I found.
As for the Spanish, the idiom comes from Medieval Jousting tournaments. The knights, dressed in their fanciest armor, shined till it gleamed, often carried swords with white tips. The knights were garbed in their very best at these tournaments, and they went “de punta en blanco.” Eventually, the phrase was separated from the knights and their weapons, and the phrase is still used today in Spanish speaking countries.
On the English side of things, there are two possible historical reasons behind what we say. Both, however, involve British men’s clothing in the 19th century. First, it is said that in the 19th century, tailors used 9 yards of fabric for their nicest suits. The more fabric used, the fancier the suit, the better dressed the man was. Another one involves the British army’s 99th regiment. The 99th regiment was said to have the best uniforms in the army, and therefore when dressed well, someone was dressed “to the nines,” plural for 99.
While these may not be 100% accurate reasons for the origins of these idioms, they both offer convincing and logical evidence. What I find most interesting, however, is that while these two idioms use different phrasing and come from completely different backgrounds, they both have the same meaning. Why have both cultures come up with new ways to describe how someone is dressed? Why don’t we just say “they’re dressed in their nicest attire” or “they’re lookin fancy schmancy”- what’s with all the idioms?
agree with you.
doggystyle