chew the fat

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Terr3

#415319 Fri, 07 Sep 07 07:11 AM

Hi!

'Chew the fat'

Could someone demonstrate the use of this idiom please? the most commonly use ones? Thank you in advance- Terr

Terr3

Joined on Wed, May 30 2007

the other side of mirror

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Mister Micawber

#415322 Fri, 07 Sep 07 07:20 AM

Chew the fat = engage in idle or casual conversation. My barber and I chewed the fat while he was trimming my Mohawk.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

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'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

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Terr3

#415326 Fri, 07 Sep 07 07:28 AM

Hi Mister Micawber!

My attention went to 'my barber' but not just any barber in your example. Does it restrict to making conversation between very close friends/ppl you know very well about, like if I were making casual conversation with a stranger at a bus stop while waiting going on about 45 minutes, does it consider as 'chewing the fat'? And I was hoping someone could tell me if the idiom is feminine, since there is this another idiom 'chew the rag' for the same meaning

THanks in advance- Terr

Terr3

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Mister Micawber

#415337 Fri, 07 Sep 07 07:56 AM

It makes no difference who the conversation is held with-- it depends on who you are uttering the sentence to. If I am talking to any familiar acquaintance or in any informal situation, I can tell him, 'I chewed the fat with President Bush last week'. Chew the rag is synonymous, and there is no gender difference-- English has very few gender-limited expressions.

Mister Micawber

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Terr3

#415343 Fri, 07 Sep 07 08:07 AM

Thanks! Mister Micawber

Terr3

Cool Breeze

#415380 Fri, 07 Sep 07 09:59 AM

Hi Terr

There is a Finnish joke that involves your expression. Finns aren't known as great talkers and people living in a certain area (Häme) are exceptionally quiet. Two friends living there went to have a drink after a hard day's work. They sat drinking their beers quietly for five minutes. Neither one said anything.

Then one said: "How was your day?" The reply came five minutes later: "Did we come here to drink or to chew the fat?"

CB

Cool Breeze

Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006

Helsinki, Finland

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