The Full Monty (phrase)
Encyclopedia
The full monty is a British slang
phrase of uncertain origin. It is generally used to mean "everything which is necessary, appropriate, or possible; ‘the works’", and has been in common usage in the north of England
for many years; the 1982 Yellow Pages for Manchester listed both a "Full Monty Chippy" and a "Fullmonty Chippy". An American
equivalent might be phrase "the whole nine yards
", "the whole ball of wax", "the whole enchilada", or "the whole shebang".
Since the 1997 film The Full Monty
, which features a group of men in Sheffield
learning to strip
, the phrase has acquired an additional usage, unique to the United States, meaning removing every item of clothing.
Possible origins of the phrase include:
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
phrase of uncertain origin. It is generally used to mean "everything which is necessary, appropriate, or possible; ‘the works’", and has been in common usage in the north of England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
for many years; the 1982 Yellow Pages for Manchester listed both a "Full Monty Chippy" and a "Fullmonty Chippy". An American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
equivalent might be phrase "the whole nine yards
The Whole Nine Yards
The phrase the whole nine yards means completely, the whole thing, everything, e.g. I was mugged. They took my wallet, my keys, my shoes, – the whole nine yards! The origin of the phrase has been described as, "the most prominent etymological riddle of our time." The earliest known examples of...
", "the whole ball of wax", "the whole enchilada", or "the whole shebang".
Since the 1997 film The Full Monty
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
, which features a group of men in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
learning to strip
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
, the phrase has acquired an additional usage, unique to the United States, meaning removing every item of clothing.
Possible origins of the phrase include:
- rigorous training by Field Marshal Montgomery: 'We suddenly knew that we were going to be put through the full Monty treatment.'
- the large breakfasts eaten by Field Marshal MontgomeryBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
- the huge Eighth ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
commanded by Field Marshal MontgomeryBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
during the desert campaign in WWII (1941-1943). - a full three-piece suit with waistcoatWaistcoatA waistcoat or vest is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit.-Characteristics and use:...
and a spare pair of trousers (as opposed to a standard two-piece suit) from the LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-based British tailors Montague BurtonBurton (clothes retailer)Burton is a large United Kingdom high street clothing retailer. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, but is now part of the Arcadia Group.-History:...
. When the British forces were demobilised after WWII, they were issued with a "demob suit". The contract for supplying these suits was fulfilled by Montague Burton, so the complete suit of clothes issued to the servicemen was known as "the full Monty". - gamblers’ jargon meaning the entire kitty or potPot (poker)The pot in poker refers to the sum of money that players wager during a single hand or game, according to the betting rules of the variant being played...
, deriving from the card game called monteThree-card MonteThree-card Monte, also known as the Three-card marney, Three-card trick, Three-Way, Three-card shuffle, Menage-a-card, Triplets, Follow the lady, Les Trois Perdants , le Bonneteau, Find the lady, or Follow the Bee is a confidence game in which the victim, or mark, is tricked into betting a... - Cockney rhyming slang, being a shortening of the Full Montefiore (which rhymes with the Full Story). Named after Sir Moses MontefioreMoses MontefioreSir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, Kt was one of the most famous British Jews of the 19th century. Montefiore was a financier, banker, philanthropist and Sheriff of London...
, Sheriff of LondonSheriffs of the City of LondonThere are two Sheriffs of the City of London. The sheriffs are elected annually by the Liverymen of the Livery Companies, and it is a requirement for a Lord Mayor of the City of London to previously have served as a Sheriff. Sheriffs have only nominal duties now, but previously had large judicial...
who was an imposing and wealthy figure of 19th century London.