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a fat, satisfying first novel

English translation: thick, dense, big

12:36 Jan 20, 2004
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: a fat, satisfying first novel
what does it mean by a fat, satisfying novel? What does fat means here?
Buttercup
Selected answer:thick, dense, big
Explanation:
It´s a big book (long), it´s packed full and therefore satisfies
Selected response from:

mbc
Spain
Local time: 04:06
Grading comment
Thank you very much
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +15thick, dense, big
mbc
3 +5rich, possibly over-indulgent
Pippin Michelli
5profitable and contentment giving first novel
Pnina
3 +2juicy, rich
Laurel Porter (X)
4Un premier roman, satisfaisant (ou admissible) et volumineux a la fois
IMAGDA
3metaphorical and euphonious - comparing the novel to a good rich meal
chica nueva
1also...
jenan


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +15
thick, dense, big


Explanation:
It´s a big book (long), it´s packed full and therefore satisfies

mbc
Spain
Local time: 04:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 12
Grading comment
Thank you very much

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  CMJ_Trans (X): lots of pages !
3 mins
  -> exactly
agree  jerrie
1 hr
agree  cologne
1 hr
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 hr
agree  Gordon Darroch (X)
2 hrs
agree  Charlie Bavington: this is the almost always the sense of "fat" when talking about books - think "War And Peace" !!
2 hrs
agree  jenan
3 hrs
agree  JoGunn: "fat" in reference to books tends to mean "long, big, thick"
3 hrs
agree  luzba
8 hrs
agree  T Crotogino
8 hrs
neutral  chica nueva: I think it refers to the texture or taste,like a heavy meal.
10 hrs
agree  Tantie Kustiantie: it is interesting book no matter so lots of pageswhich sometime make somebody tired to read it, but no for this book due to its satisfying
14 hrs
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont: rich
16 hrs
agree  nothing
1 day 2 hrs
agree  Alexandra Tussing
1 day 13 hrs
agree  TonyTK: lotsa pages
1 day 21 hrs
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Un premier roman, satisfaisant (ou admissible) et volumineux a la fois


Explanation:
fat= refers to quantity, volume of work

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-20 12:49:14 (GMT)
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I thought you needed the freanch translation too...

IMAGDA
Local time: 05:06
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +5
rich, possibly over-indulgent


Explanation:
Fat always enriches the taste and texture of food - and and often (but not always) also ruins the eater's figure. Does this novel make a strong appeal to the senses in any way? The word could be used metaphorically for a sense of luxury to the point of over indulgence.

Pippin Michelli
Local time: 21:06
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 19

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maria Nicholas (X)
1 hr
agree  Refugio: This is what I thought of too, in addition to a big book.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks - and Buttercup's later questions tend to confirm this sense of the meaning, too.
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
14 hrs
agree  Alexandra Tussing
1 day 12 hrs
agree  Rajan Chopra
2 days 17 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
profitable and contentment giving first novel


Explanation:
One of the meanings of the adjective "fat" is profitable.
One of the meanings of the verb "to satisfy" is to fulfill the desires or expectations or needs or demands of a person or a mind; to give full contentment.
In this case the readers of the novel are contented and the novel brings profits to its author and its publisher.


    Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
Pnina
Israel
Local time: 05:06
Native speaker of: Native in HebrewHebrew
PRO pts in pair: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Charlie Bavington: sorry, but I really think that in this kind of context, it is very unlikely that "fat" is used meaning "profitable to the author/publisher" - it does just mean it's got a lot of pages!!
59 mins
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
also...


Explanation:

big, fat novel : single story that spills over several volumes

" keep in mind the difference between a series of novels and a big fat novel, for instance Niven’s Ringworld novels or Herbert’s Dune are series of standalones, not big fat novels separated into volumes."

http://www.epinions.com/content_94433152644




    Reference: http://www.epinions.com/content_94433152644
jenan
Local time: 05:06
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
juicy, rich


Explanation:
Although it's true that it's unlikely that "fat" would refer to a short novel, I think it's also unlikely that "fat, satisfying..." would lump together length with quality of content. I think it's referring to the density - the calorie content, if you will - of the prose.



Laurel Porter (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont: rich yes but juicy has another connotation
8 hrs
agree  Alexandra Tussing
1 day 6 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
metaphorical and euphonious - comparing the novel to a good rich meal


Explanation:
This is the reader/reviewer's (subjective) response to the book.

As readers, in English, we often compare books to meals; we 'digest' them and 'ruminate' over them.

You feel very satisfied as after a 'fat' (= creamy, heavy, rich) meal. Replete. Like a snake that has swallowed a pig. You want to sleep...

['fat' has a good sound in English. glossy, sleek, well-fed, comfortable, generous, well-rounded. The opposite to mean, stingy, and parsimonious. Would you like the 'fat'milk or the 'skim' milk? Indulge yourself... Mid last century, NZ's export 'fat lambs' were famous in Britain. Not any more, fat is out of fashion, but they are still prime, finished - good words

chica nueva
Local time: 14:06
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 83
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