to kill the fatted calf
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To welcome with the best of everything. The phrase is taken from the parable of the prodigal son (Luke xv, 30).
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 “to kill the fatted calf” mean?
To welcome with the best of everything. The phrase is taken from the parable of the prodigal son (Luke xv, 30).
Is “to kill the fatted calf” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.