Chew the Fat
Our family loves to meet and eat. Thanksgiving, Christmas, special birthdays, or for no reason at all. We also love to chew the fat, spending hours talking and laughing.
To chew the fat means to have long, relaxed conversations.
- No rush
- Easy laughter
- No schedule
We enjoy leisure from the daily grind.
To chew the fat involves little or no heavy discussion.
We simply shoot the breeze. Chats stay:
- Friendly
- Relaxed
- Informal
Conversations may occasionally include bits of gossip. When tempted to gossip, we need to bite our tongue.
Two other expressions share similar meanings.
- Chew the rag
- Chew the cud
Origins for chew the fat and chew the rug are unknown. People have guessed possibilities but with no certainty. We find a simpler explanation for chew the cud.
According to Phrase Finder, a cud is the food cows “bring back into their mouths from their first stomach to chew at leisure.” We see that slow chewing while cows graze in pastures.
Enjoy special time to chew the fat with friends and family.
Make memories and strengthen relationships. They are gifts from God.
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16 NIV).
Thanks to Gail Gosser and Regina Graham for the suggestion.
Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? If so, please comment below.
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6 thoughts on “Chew the Fat”
Those “chewing the fat” conversations can be very interesting. haha! Have a blessed day!
They certainly can be interesting, Melissa! And fun. Blessings.
It’s wonderful when families can get together and leisurely chew the fat, Diana. Great idiom today. Blessings!
Thank you, Martha. Those are always good times. I hope you have frequent moments to chew the fat too.
“Chew the fat” reminds me of when my cousins, brothers, and uncles would gather at Sunday dinner or a family reunion and talk for hours about various topics that seemed totally uninteresting to me. This would occur when the women were either preparing the meal or cleaning up after the meal. On the other hand, as a farm girl, I’ve witnessed many cows chewing their cud. Ours would gorge on grass, then find a shady spot to rest, lie down, and chew their cud. Maybe there’s some resemblance to that group of men after all!
Thank you for sharing your memories, Katherine. They gave me an early morning smile. Blessings.