The phrase “living off the fat of the earth” means living comfortably by taking advantage of the world’s abundance. It historically refers to a bountiful natural environment, but can also apply to industry and economics. It can imply simplicity or excess, and when used for first world wealth, can suggest complacency or entitlement.
The saying “living off the fat of the earth” means living well by taking advantage of the world’s abundance and all that the world has to offer. The expression implies living comfortably without much difficulty. Taking advantage of what the world has to offer can be understood in relation to any set of circumstances, ranging from an agrarian existence to the highest degree of modern affluence. Sometimes the idiom also implies opulence, excess or laziness, but these are secondary connotations.
Early definitions of the word “fat” refer to the best, richest, or most rewarding part of something. In this sense, one of the first references to this phrase comes from the King James Bible, in Genesis 45:17-18. Here, Joseph is instructed to go to Canaan, where “the good of the land of Egypt” will be given to him. He is told that upon his arrival “he shall eat the fat of the earth.” This passage suggests that the earth will give abundance to his family.
“Living off the fat of the earth” has historically brought about a sense of abundance produced by the Earth itself, as from bountiful crops grown in rich soils or from a cornucopia of naturally available resources. This phrase could refer to a lush natural environment that needs few crops to sustain human life – a place good for farming, fishing, hunting, or anything else that immediately sustains life. Modern interpretations might include references to valuable things underground, such as gems or fossil fuels. Other interpretations might extend the historical meaning to the realms of industry, commerce, or economics.
When applied to a natural environment, it often denotes agriculture, anti-consumerism, or a simple lifestyle. Such references could include the idea of a “return to nature” in which individuals could abandon the complexities of modern society to simply “live off the fat of the earth”. This meaning is almost the opposite of another modern connotation which identifies the expression with abundance and excess.
Where the idiom “living off the fat of the earth” refers to first world wealth, the implication is that this bounty has come relatively easily to anyone who has it. A negative value judgment is sometimes placed on this use of easy prosperity, but not always. When the idiom refers to great wealth, there is often an implied complacency, a false entitlement, or a sense of wealth that is taken for granted.
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