chew the fat

Chew the fat = engage in idle or casual conversation. My barber and I chewed the fat while he was trimming my Mohawk.

Hi Mister Micawber!

My attention went to 'my barber' but not just any barber in your example. Does it restrict to making conversation between very close friends/ppl you know very well about, like if I were making casual conversation with a stranger at a bus stop while waiting going on about 45 minutes, does it consider as 'chewing the fat'? And I was hoping someone could tell me if the

It makes no difference who the conversation is held with-- it depends on who you are uttering the sentence to. If I am talking to any familiar acquaintance or in any informal situation, I can tell him, 'I chewed the fat with President Bush last week'. Chew the rag is synonymous, and there is no gender difference-- English has very few gender-limited expressions.

Thanks! Mister Micawber

Hi Terr

There is a Finnish joke that involves your expression. Finns aren't known as great talkers and people living in a certain area (Häme) are exceptionally quiet. Two friends living there went to have a drink after a hard day's work. They sat drinking their beers quietly for five minutes. Neither one said anything.

Then one said: "How was your day?" The reply came five minut