fatten the curve

English

Etymology

A pun on flatten the curve.

Verb

fatten the curve (third-person singular simple present fattens the curve, present participle fattening the curve, simple past and past participle fattened the curve)

1. (humorous) To fatten or gain weight due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
   • 2020 June 2, “Quarantini? Moronavirus? COVID-10? Wordplay Brings Humor to These Times”, in Voice of America‎^[1], archived from the original on 2024-04-21:

     Did you hear about the town that was fattening the curve so much that the mayor had to take away everyone’s quarantinis?

   • 2020 October 6, “Bailey’s High 5: 5 Ways to Ease Back into Exercise”, in Smile FM‎^[2], archived from the original on 2024-04-21:

     Some people really got into the virtual way of working out in lockdown and we saw online exercise courses boom in lockdown… and others, like me, well, we fattened the curve and ate our feelings.

   • 2020 November 19, Jen, “Daily Structure And Small Activities”, in OTCoach‎^[3], archived from the original on 2024-04-21:

     My daily occupations are also being shaped by my back is playing up (I have successfully “fattened the curve” and put on about stone of late, so I can’t actually stay in bed for more than 6 hours anyway and if I come downstairs and sit at the desk straight away, it aches even more, so I am doing this sort of walking/standing/yoga mix of trying to work at my laptop – its not easy. […] Meal times have become real markers of time and have gained greater meaning in our house “yey, structure!”, “yey activity”, “yey yummy food” “fatten that curve baby”

   • 2021 April 3, Josh Freed, “Josh Freed: After COVID, we'll need to relearn some old habits”, in Montreal Gazettte‎^[4], archived from the original on 2024-04-21:

     FAILING FITNESS: The average American gained two pounds a month, possibly some 20 pounds during COVID — stuck indoors in close contact with the fridge. Have we Canadians? If so, we have “fattened the curve” of Canada by some 700 million pounds — placing more weight on our cracked roads, sidewalks and bridges, not to mention car springs.

   • 2022 March 15, Betty Pei Ing Chang, Igor Pravst, Monique Maria Raats, The Effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Food Supply, Dietary Patterns, Nutrition and Health: Volume 1, Frontiers Media S. A., pages 140–141:

     This public health action markedly disrupted everyday activities and increased unstructured time for people, making weight management a concern (1-3) frequently referred to on social media as "Quarantine 15", "gaining the COVID-19" or "fattening the curve."

   • 2022 March 24, Alison Colwell, No Excuses: Turning Around One of Britain's Toughest Schools, Biteback Publishing, page 207:

     At the start of the pandemic, the internet was awash with jokes. Mostly they revolved around all-day drinking and weight gain – fattening the curve.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fatten,‎ the,‎ curve.
   • 2012 October 23, Edmund Morris, This Living Hand: And Other Essays, Random House Publishing Group, page 93:

     Just as important is the pen's ability to dawdle in midstroke, fattening the curve of a y, for example, while pondering whether to follow up with a comma or not.