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Etymology Journal ยท F

Fit as a fiddle

Meaning

To be in excellent physical condition or perfect health. It is a happy, rhyming way to say you are feeling great.

Cheerful, healthy

Used in a sentence

  • Grandpa is eighty, but he is as fit as a fiddle.
  • After three weeks of training, I'm feeling fit as a fiddle.
  • He recovered from the surgery and is now as fit as a fiddle.

The backstory

This phrase dates back to the 1600s. While it sounds like it refers to a medical fit, it actually refers to the 'fitness' or suitability of a musical instrument being in good condition.

Heard in

Nationwide

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