"We're chewing the fat."

Aside from the obvious/literal meaning, what is this statement supposed to mean? What's it referring to? I mean, it has to be something important, otherwise why add it to the auto-translation dictionary?

When translated into English, the phrase that reads "We're chewing the fat" means that you are wasting time talking about seemingly unimportant things.

I imagine this is a localization team fubar. It basically means you're having an informal conversation about nothing in particular. I imagine there is a similar saying in Japanese that is less anachronistic and the localization team was trying to be as succinct as possible while staying close to the Japanese meaning.

Let me help you with that.

half life 3 confirmed

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Originally Posted by Oblitae

half life 3 confirmed

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Starring Fordo Greenman with his trusty Levity Gun.

Not gonna lie, have actually said chewing the fat in a normal conversation.

-2 people speaking to eachother in a foreign language
-wtf are they talking about?!
-i think i heard them say my name
-panic and start cursing at them
-they were just "chewing the fat"
-mfw

Haven't you noticed that lalafells are short and porky, full of fat? Obviously, 'chewing the fat' is a method to savour the flavour when partaking in one of them.

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Originally Posted by Nel_Celestine

Let me help you with that.

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This is soooo much win lmao.

Yah it's a strange choice for the English part of that autotranslate item. The same autotranslate item in the Japanese patch notes translates into essentially "I'm Chatting" which means the same as "Chewing the Fat" but is a much cleaner and generic English term. There's certainly places where English speaking people don't really know that phrase but everyone would understand "I'm chatting" or "I'm having a chat". The French equivalent in their patch notes is the same generic statement that means "I Chat". Very odd choice by the localization team for the English client.

Have heard the phrase used a few times... may have even used it myself once during a school project iirc (in reference to no new/good ideas being produced)...