a fat cat

fat cat

A disparaging term for a rich and powerful person. The voters were tired of all the fat cats running for political office. They wanted someone who understood the plight of the middle class.
See also: cat, fat

fat-cat

1. noun Someone who is very wealthy and successful. That guy is a really fat-cat in Hollywood, so we definitely have to impress him if we want to get our movie made.
2. adjective Describing such a person or the condition of being wealthy and successful. That's a fat-cat kind of house—something we middle-class people can only dream about.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a fat cat

COMMON You call a businessperson or politician a fat cat when you disapprove of the way they use their wealth and power because it seems unfair or wrong to you. These fat cats of commerce make huge profits out of the public. Yet again privatisation benefits City fat cats at the expense of the customer. Note: You can also use fat cat before a noun. The taxpayer will be left to pay while the fat cat businessmen get the cream of Britain's rail services. He promised to end fat-cat salaries for union bosses and increase worker wages.
See also: cat, fat
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a ˈfat cat

(informal, disapproving) a person who earns, or has, a lot of money (especially when compared to people who do not earn much): The company director is described as a fat cat, who enjoys his luxury lifestyle but doesn’t care about his employees.
See also: cat, fat
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • fat cat
  • fat-cat
  • damn Yankee
  • Yankee
  • codfish aristocracy
  • the old ball and chain
  • filthy rich
  • libtard
  • white trash
References in periodicals archive
And don't think you're the only one living with a fat cat.
Obesity: a major health risk: a reduced calorie diet can help most cats lose their excess weight. Here's why it's so important
The 55c and 78c stamps feature the artist's impressions of a Kilkenny Cat, a Celtic Tigress, a Fat Cat and two Cool Cats.
Cat-alogue of stamps
This humorous tale of a big hungry kitty, a fat cat that hasn't met a creature he does not like to eat, will delight young and old alike.
Thompson, Pat Drat That Fat Cat
To avoid being publicly chastised as a Fat Cat,ensure that criticism is ``silenced'' by your early success in raising the share price of your company.
Comment
Nobody would dream of calling a pop star a fat cat, or a bestselling author, or a footballer.
Hain's phoney war on the 'fat cats'
GMB chief John Edmonds, said: "If there's anything worse than a fat cat it's a two-faced fat cat." He challenged Mr Callaghan to donate at least pounds 4 an hour to charity.
The TUC in Brighton: Fury over pounds 60k job
A Fat cat row erupted yesterday after it was revealed that the Millennium Dome's new boss will be paid more than pounds 500,000.
FURY AT DOME BOSS' pounds 500,000