Fashion

Dressed to the nines

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?

Britain – 19th century.

Where is it used?

In the UK, mostly amongst the older generation.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.