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broad in the beam

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broad in the beam

 

1. Lit. [of a ship] wide at amidships. This old tub is broad in the beam and sits like a ball in the water, but I love her.

2. Fig. Inf. with wide hips or large buttocks. l am getting a little broad in the beam. It's time to go on a diet. John is just naturally broad in the beam.

See also: beam, broad

broad in the beam

Having broad hips or large buttocks. For example, I've grown too broad in the beam for these slacks. This expression originated in the 17th century and described the wideness of a ship. It began to be used for the human body only in the 1920s.

See also: beam, broad