APAD: Living off the fat of the land

Meaning:

    Living well; fed by abundant crops.

 

Background:

    The first citation of the phrase in the `land' version we now use is the

    Bible, Genesis 45:17-18 (King James Version), 1611:

 

        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.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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No fish seemed stupid enough to swallow our bait and Tim and I turned to

crabbing. Our gears consisted of a sturdy good-sized trap with four openings, a

lure cage fastened on the bottom, a long line attached to the top, and a plastic

pail. We used to bait the trap with chicken quarters, drive to the San Francisco

Municipal pier, find a scenic spot, and cast the assembly down. Every 20

minutes, we'd hoist the trap up, check its content, remove the big ones into the

bucket, and throw the rest back into the bay.

 

We were too lazy to study the tide but still, once in a while, would hit a

bumper catch, e.g., over a dozen 6"+ rock crabs. We would keep them and that

evening live off the fat of the land.