APAD: the fat is in the fire

Definition

   an ignited crisis is likely to cause serious repercussions

 

Examples

   1) The fat is in the fire now that the CEO has resigned.

   2) The fat is in the fire now that the news of the scandal has broken.

 

Etymology

   The term is believed to have originated from the flaring up of fire caused by

   fat dripping during the process of cooking meat over an open flame.

 

Synonyms

   trouble is brewing, the die is cast

 

- englishdaily626.com [edited]

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If one takes the long view and considers the broad sweep of things, they might

say that the fat has been sizzling non-stop since Prometheus bootlegged fire.

Things have to happen and one cannot help. Whoever said "first do no harm" knew

not what he was talking about as prediction is hard, especially about the

future. Did the Chinese inventors of the compass and explosives, for example,

smell a rat and foresee that their gizmos would in time help bringing a drug

lord's gunboats to their fair shores?