We have some very weird ways of talking about the human body in English, especially when it comes to talking about fat or excess fat on the body.  Today I have picked three slang expressions that are commonly used in English to describe bodies.  Below I explain what these expressions mean and where they come from.

Please note: None of these expressions are considered polite ways to talk about another person, but they are used in every day speech frequently so they are good to know.

pot belly
This term is used to describe a person (usually a male) with a large protruding* stomach.  This expression comes from the likeness a person with a ‘pot belly’ has to an old fashion stove called a ‘pot belly stove.’

muffin top
This slang term is used to describe a person (usually a female) with overhanging fat/skin that falls over the waistline of paints.  This expression comes from the likeness a person with a ‘muffin top’ has to the top of a muffin falling over the paper cup the muffin is baked in.

love handles
This term is used to describe the excess fat on the side or waist of a person’s (male or female) body.  Of the three terms presented here, this is the least offensive and is even sometimes used in a loving way.  The reason this fat around a person’s waist is called ‘love handles’ is because it is something on the person’s body another person can hold on to (like a handle) in order to grab the person and bring them close to say give the person a kiss.

Now that I have gone over some common vocabulary used to describe fat on the body let me give you some vocabulary that is used to describe a fit body in English.  The following words are used to describe a person who is in shape or muscular.

toned
buff
built
jacked
ripped

*protruding = extending out beyond the normal surface