fat of the land

fat of the land

1. The hypothetical surplus that one can access in order to live comfortably without working very hard. Often used in the phrase "live off the fat of the land." Ben has been living off the fat of the land for too long—it's time for him to get a job! Because we never allowed our daughter to live off the fat of the land, she's known the importance of hard work her whole life. I'm just scraping by with these unemployment checks, not living off the fat of the land! And I'm actively looking for a new job!

2. The best of something. It's a party, and we've got some delicious food—come on, everybody, and enjoy the fat of the land! If Dad's paying for the catering, you know we'll be served the fat of the land. My only daughter deserves the fat of the land, so only the best of everything for her wedding day!

See also: fat, land, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

fat of the land, the

The best or richest of anything, as in The tiny upper class lived off the fat of the land while many of the poor were starving. This expression alludes to fat in the sense of "the best or richest part." The Bible has it as eat the fat of the land (Genesis 45:18).

See also: fat, of

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the fat of the land

Desirable resources, especially when acquired with little effort: I fantasized about buying a farm and living off the fat of the land.

See also: fat, land, of

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.