LL-L: "Idiomatica" LOWLANDS-L, 29.JAN.2001 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 29.JAN.2001 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Stefan Israel [stefansfeder at yahoo.com]
Subject: Idiomatica

Ron wrote:

> Does any of you know anything about the origin of the
> expressions 'to chew the fat' or 'to chew the rag'
> denoting 'to have a talk', oftentimes specifically 'to talk
> about old times' or 'to air old grievances'?

Tom Funk's book on idioms _Heavens to Betsy_ traces it back to
at least the 1880's, when Patterson's Life in the Ranks called
American army slang.  Funk speculates that the expression
alluded to gossiping at women's sewing circles- the "rag".  The
"fat", he supposes, were the choice figurative morsels of
gossip.  His research does tend to be superficial, so I'd take
what he says with a definite grain of salt.

Stefan

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