nine (redirected from IX)

cat has nine lives

Prov. Cats can survive things that are severe enough to kill them. (You can also refer to a particular cat's nine lives.) Jill: My cat fell off a third-floor balcony and just walked away. How can he do that? Jane: A cat has nine lives. I think my cat used up one of her nine lives when she survived being hit by that car.

See also: cat, has, lives

dressed to the nines and dressed to the teeth

Fig. dressed very stylishly with nothing overlooked. She showed up for the picnic dressed to the nines. Clare is usually dressed to the teeth in order to impress people.

See also: dress

nine days' wonder

Fig. something that is of interest to people only for a short time. Don't worry about the story about you in the newspaper. It'll be a nine days' wonder and then people will forget. The elopement of Bob and Anne was a nine days' wonder. Now people never mention it.

See also: wonder

nine times out of ten

Fig. usually; almost always. Nine times out often people will choose coffee rather than tea.

See also: out, ten, times

nine-to-five job

a job with normal daytime hours. I wouldn't want a nine-to-five job. I like the freedom I have as my own boss. I used to work nights, but now I have a nine-to-five job.

See also: job

on cloud nine

Fig. very happy. When I got my promotion, I was on cloud nine. When the check came, I was on cloud nine for days.

See also: cloud

Possession is nine-tenths of the law.

Prov. If you actually possess something, you have a stronger legal claim to owning it than someone who merely says it belongs to him or her. Dana may say he owns this house, but we actually live in it, and possession is nine-tenths of the law.

See also: law, possession

stitch in time saves nine

Prov. If you fix a small problem right away, it will not become a bigger problem later. Let's patch the roof before that hole gets bigger. A stitch in time saves nine.

See also: save, stitch, time

whole nine yards

Sl. the entire amount; everything, as far as possible. For you I'll go the whole nine yards. You're worth the whole nine yards.

See also: whole, yard

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a nine/one/seven-day wonder

someone or something that causes interest or excitement for a short period but is then quickly forgotten His music was derided by an older generation convinced that he was a nine-day wonder.

See also: wonder

be dressed up to the nines  (informal)

to be wearing very fashionable or formal clothes for a special occasion They must have been on their way to a wedding or something. They were dressed up to the nines.

See done up up like a dog's dinner

See also: dress, up

be on cloud nine  (informal)

to be very happy For a few days after I heard I'd got the job, I was on cloud nine.

See also: cloud

go the whole nine yards  (American informal)

to continue doing something dangerous or difficult until it is finished The weather was terrible but I wanted to go the whole nine yards and get to the top of the mountain.

See also: whole, yard

nine times out of ten

almost always Nine times out of ten when you're dreading an occasion it turns out to be perfectly all right.

See also: out, ten, times

Possession is nine-tenths of the law.

something that you say which means that if you have something, it is difficult for other people to take it away from you It would be hard to ask for the piano back after they've had it for so long. Possession is nine-tenths of the law and all that.

See also: law, possession

the whole nine yards  (American informal)

the whole of something, including everything that is connected with it When I eat Mexican food, I like to have fajitas, bean dip, guacamole - the whole nine yards.

See also: whole, yard

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dressed to the nines

wearing very fashionable or expensive clothes The door opened to reveal a small woman, dressed to the nines for an evening of partying.

See also: dress

nine times out of ten

almost always When a company has to lay off workers, nine times out of ten women employees are the first to be fired.

See also: out, ten, times

on cloud nine

very happy She just bought her first new car and she's on cloud nine.

See also: cloud

the whole nine yards (spoken)

all of something, including everything connected with it the whole shebang When you join the gym, they show you all the equipment, tell you how to use it, the whole nine yards. They rushed him to the emergency room with lights flashing, sirens wailing, a police escort, the whole nine yards.

Usage notes: often used in the phrase go the whole nine yards: So we moved to the suburbs and went the whole nine yards - we had two cars, a pool in the back yard, even cookouts in the backyard.

See also: whole, yard