suddenly

the fat hit the fire

Said when a situation has abruptly, and perhaps drastically, worsened. Mom already seemed annoyed, but the fat really hit the fire when she found out that you'd been lying to her.

See also: fat, fire, hit

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

*fat hit the fire

Fig. a situation that suddenly becomes frantic and unpleasant. (*Typically: suddenly ~; then ~; when ~.) Things were looking bad in the stock market, then the fat hit the fire and I lost everything.

See also: fat, fire, hit

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.