fat¹ n DC ~ 1 a Nfld ([1960]-1965) for sense 1, b (1925, 1933) for sense 2; 2 a, b (1918-1964) for sense 3; OED a II 8 fat-oil (1875) for comb in sense 5.
   1 The layer of fatty tissue cut from the skin of seals for rendering into oil; BLUBBER.
   1708 GEARE 17-18 ... [flour] mixt with Water and boiled upon the fat of the Seal. [1771] 1792 CARTWRIGHT i, 89 I had the fat of two harps melted, which produced eighteen gallons of oil. 1832 MCGREGOR i, 224 The fat, or seal blubber, is separated from the skins, cut into pieces, and put into framework vats, through which, and small boughs inside, the oil oozes on being exposed to the heat of the sun. [1896] SWANSBOROUGH 4 "The Seal Fishery": But hope is active, all now chat / Of sealing fleets, and seals, and 'fat.' 1955 DOYLE (ed) 10 "A Noble Fleet of Sealers": There's a noble fleet of sealers, / Being fitted for the 'ice.' / They'll take a chance again this year / Tho' fat's gone down in price. T 50-64 Bill went down an' she was up to the floor then, trying to get the pumps cleaned--choked up with fat, see. 1978 Decks Awash vii (1), 19 Out of the $27 which is top price, we were getting $23 or $24. We were also getting 4 cents for the fat.
   2 A collection of the skins of seals with fatty tissue attached. See PELT n, SCULP n.
   1894 MOTT 25 [Captain Dawe] brought a big lot of 'fat into the country.' 1906 DUNCAN 280 Two pennant
   bearers, carrying flags to mark the heaps of 'fat,' as they should be formed, led the file. 1933 GREENE 47 The bunting was only hoisted when the holds were filled to the hatch-coamings and over—and indeed wherever else (no matter where!) that seal-pelts could be 'stowed'—or the 'fat' as the sealers term it. 1936 DEVINE 122 His son, a fine young lad of 12 years of age, was killed by falling over Signal Hill on the harbour [side] in 1880, the spring the Walrus brought in three loads of fat. 1977 Evening Telegram 8 Mar, p. 4 [At the seal-hunt in 1960] we had to sleep in the [hold] ... and when there was so much fat aboard, we had to buddy up.
   3 Seals; the seal herds; esp in phr in the fat, strike the fat.
   1895 Christmas Review 12 [proverb] Out of the fog and into the 'fat.' [1900 OLIVER & BURKE] 12 "Local Poet on Harbor Grace": For fat and fish you stand alone— / Unequall'd—Harbor Grace. 1916 GRENFELL 8 As long as you have enough flour not to starve, and can get some fat, you'll be all right, Jake, till the ducks come south. 1924 ENGLAND 47 'We got a grand shot on us now,' cried the Cap'n. 'We'll be into the fat afore lang, me sons!' P 245-55 To strike the fat, i.e. the seal herds. 1964 BLONDAHL (ed) 77 "Sealing Cruise of the Lone Flier": We motored until three o'clock, and then we struck the fat, / Herbert Legge picked up a seal, Claude Hawkins got a 'cat.' 1972 BROWN 28 An' when we reach the swiles I'll let ye know be raisin' the after derrick. Now when ye see the after derrick ris, ye'll know we're in the fat.
   4 Comb fat-oil: oil rendered from the blubber of whales or seals.
   [1766] 1971 BANKS 135 Let us remember their Train Oyl for by that name they distinguish it from Whale or Seal oyle which they Call Fat Oyle Which is sold at a Lower Price. 1819 ANSPACH 446 [Oil] which is extracted from whales and seals ... is there designated by the appellation of fat-oil.
   fat-soap: soap made from the fatty tissue of sheep or cows.
   T 34-64 Some people used to make their own soap out of blubber in days gone by, or make it in fat, the fat of the sheep, if we had sheep to kill. T 94-64 So the fat soap is the same, you know. You'd save up fat—you kill a cow, you'd have a lot o' fat.

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