When a person has the best of everything in life, word has it that he or she is living off the fat of the land. So how did come to mean that and from where does the phrase, the fat of the land, originate?
In a news story published in the The Quebec Saturday Budget newspaper on February 8, 1890 in a story entitled, “On Behalf of Ireland’s Cause: The American Press to be Bought With British Gold to Malign the League” the story read in part:
The Chicago Times of the second instant, says editorially ‘hold no convention, is the advice to the executive of the National League in America from the gentlemen over the sea, but send us more money. As to the money part, that has been the cry from time immemorial. Since 1886, this one agency of the League alone has collected a quarter of a million of money and the demand is for more. Men who are living as Members of the British Parliament on funds raised in America, and living on the fat of the land, or gossip does them great injustice, will naturally cry with the horse-leech’s daughter ‘Give, give.’
In the 1500s, the fat of something was considered to be the best or richest part. In fact, if you read any of the recipes from that time period, you will soon appreciate the fact that fat was where it was at!
But in the end, this phrase is from The Bible as well in Genesis 45:17-18 where it is written:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
Historically Speaking 