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The idiom “lean and mean” means physically fit and ready for a challenge. It can also describe companies that are competitive without excess fat. Idioms use metaphorical comparisons, often to the human body or animals, and are specific to language and culture.
The English idiom “lean and mean” usually means that a person is fit and ready to take on any challenge, especially a physical one. An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative meaning apart from the literal definition of words and is usually specific to a language and a culture. Many idioms make metaphorical comparisons with the human body or animals.
A lean, mean person is physically fit and ready for a fight or contest. This English saying conjures up images of a boxer in a ring with his head down and his boxing gloves poised, ready to face his opponent. In fact, the “lean and mean” idiom often has the words “and ready for a fight” included at the end.
Lean and mean is also used to describe companies that are lean, competitive and without excess fat. Typically, this idiom has positive implications, but in an economic downturn, that might not be the case. When applied to a company, some people might think that the term “lean and mean” means that the company has laid off a number of employees and is now ready to push its remaining staff to the limits of their ability to turn a profit.
Idioms are commonly used phrases that usually require a knowledge of the language and culture to understand. The term “thin and average” is culturally specific, especially taking into account the Western love of a fit and thin body image. The words “fat and bad” in English wouldn’t have the same meaning as being fit and up for a challenge, although they might in Japanese. A Japanese might think of a sumo wrestler. The Japanese have their own sayings, most of which wouldn’t mean much to a Westerner. Although the Japanese have an idiom that translates to “easy, a piece of cake,” that means “it’s simple” in both languages.
Idioms use metaphorical comparisons to make their point. Comparisons to the human body and animals appear to be the most common in the English language. For example, “Blood is thicker than water” means that family relationships are important, perhaps more so than other relationships. An especially nice saying is “bone of contention,” which is a metaphor for a troubling problem that is difficult for people to solve. A person might imagine two dogs circling a bone when he hears this idiom.
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