the fat is in the fire
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the fat is in the fire” mean?
Something has been let out inadvertently which will cause a "regular flare up"; it's all over, all's up with it. The allusion is to frying; if the grease is spilt into the fire, the coals smoke and blaze so as to spoil the food.
Is “the fat is in the fire” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.