Fit as a butcher’s dog

Origin of: Fit as a butcher’s dog

Fit as a butcher’s dog

Very fit, very healthy, from the assumption that a butcher’s dog is well fed on meat scraps and is therefore very fit and healthy, dates from the mid to late 20th century and is thought to have originated in Lancashire. The Australian version is full as a butcher’s dog, with emphasis on being full as opposed to fit.