Is chew the fat an idiom?

2 years ago

3 minutes

Today both expressions are largely synonyms for a friendly talk or gossip session. Why this idiom uses fat and rag is not known, but some speculate that fat refers to juicy items of gossip and rag to ladies’ sewing circles and the cloth they worked on while chatting.

Is chewing the fat a metaphor?

They would have hardened and salted animal fat, which would provide nutrients when on a voyage but would require chewing for a long time. This became a routine activity where friends would gossip, and thus, from the literal meaning, it is now used metaphorically.

Is chew the cud an idiom?

Definition. The idiom chew the cud means to ponder over or meditate about something; to think carefully about something. Cud refers to the food regurgitated from the stomach to the mouth of a ruminant animal such as a cow and chewed again.

Is chew us out an idiom?

slang To scold or berate one harshly or angrily. A noun or pronoun can be used between “chew” and “out.” The boss is totally going to chew us out if he hears that we lost that big client. is now available in paperback and eBook formats. Make it yours today!

What does the idiom chew out mean?

to criticize someone angrily: The coach has already chewed out two of his swimmers for arriving late to practice.

Where did the idiom chew the fat come from?

The Oxford English Dictionary’s earliest citation for “Chew the fat” is from 1885 in a book by J Brunlees Patterson called Life in the Ranks of the British Army in India. He implied it was a kind of general grumbling and bending of the ears of junior officers to stave off boredom, a typical part of army life.

What is the meaning of idiom once in a blue moon?

something extremely rare in occurrence

Once in a blue moon: This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. A blue moon is the term commonly used for a second full moon that occasionally appears in a single month of our solar-based calendars.

What is the meaning of the idiom to bell the cat?

This relatively old idiom means to perform a dangerous or a risky task. When you ask someone ‘Who is going to bell the cat? ‘, you wish to know as to which individual has the courage to do something dangerous.

What is the meaning of the idiom chicken hearted?

timid, cowardly too

Definition of chickenhearted
: timid, cowardly too … chickenhearted to accompany me in this perilous undertaking— Washington Irving.