Fat and slim are opposites. Make it make sense.

  • Diddlydee@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    12 days ago

    They don’t mean the same thing as I understand them. Slim chance means there’s a chance but fat chance means practically no chance.

    • 🌞 Alexander Daychilde 🌞@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      11 days ago

      Depends on context. “Slim chance” might technically allow for a small chance, but a lot of the time it’s used, it’s used to indicate that the speaker considers there to be no actual chance. Like if you say “That’s probably not gonna work” you probably actually mean “I believe that is going to not work”.

      But this discussion is interesting, because I’d imagine “fat chance” only came about as a sarcastic way of saying slim/no chance. I’m pretty sure it’s like “disgruntled” where nobody is actually gruntled. Language is delightful. :)