{"id":2179,"date":"2012-10-18T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2012-10-18T13:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=2179"},"modified":"2014-08-06T10:32:41","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T14:32:41","slug":"pot-bellies-muffin-tops-and-love-handles-what-are-you-talking-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/pot-bellies-muffin-tops-and-love-handles-what-are-you-talking-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Pot bellies, muffin tops, and love handles \u2013 what are you talking about?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 Today I have picked three slang expressions that are commonly used in English to describe bodies.\u00a0 Below I explain what these expressions mean and where they come from.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

pot belly<\/strong>
\nThis term is used to describe a person (usually a male) with a large protruding* stomach.\u00a0 This expression comes from the likeness a person with a \u2018pot belly\u2019 has to an old fashion stove called a \u2018pot belly stove.\u2019<\/p>\n

muffin top<\/strong>
\nThis slang term is used to describe a person (usually a female) with overhanging fat\/skin that falls over the waistline of paints.\u00a0 This expression comes from the likeness a person with a \u2018muffin top\u2019 has to the top of a muffin falling over the paper cup the muffin is baked in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

love handles<\/strong>
\nThis term is used to describe the excess fat on the side or waist of a person\u2019s (male or female) body.\u00a0 Of the three terms presented here, this is the least offensive and is even sometimes used in a loving way.\u00a0 The reason this fat around a person\u2019s waist is called \u2018love handles\u2019 is because it is something on the person\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 The following words are used to describe a person who is in shape or muscular.<\/p>\n

toned<\/strong>
\nbuff<\/strong>
\nbuilt<\/strong>
\njacked<\/strong>
\nripped<\/strong><\/p>\n

*protruding = extending out beyond the normal surface<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

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.\u00a0 Today I have picked three slang expressions that are commonly used in English to describe bodies.\u00a0 Below I explain what these expressions mean and where they come…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":2184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[135139],"tags":[219071,219070,219069],"class_list":["post-2179","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-language","tag-love-handles","tag-muffin-tops","tag-pot-bellies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t