battle of the bulge
1
5.3
- noun
- Informal
:
lucha contra la barriga
- After years of trying different diets, Jane finally won her battle of the bulge.
Examples
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Every January, gym memberships surge as people renew their battle of the bulge.
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He often jokes about fighting the battle of the bulge whenever dessert is served.
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I started my battle of the bulge last month.
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The battle of the bulge is not easy for everyone.
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After trying various diets for months, she is still determined to win the battle of the bulge this year.
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Many people join gyms every January to help them in their battle of the bulge and improve their fitness.
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He jokes that every holiday season brings a new challenge in his ongoing battle of the bulge.
How Hard
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'battle' (a struggle) with 'bulge' (a protruding belly) to mean a struggle against belly fat, so the overall meaning is directly inferable from the constituents. Although it playfully echoes the historical proper noun 'Battle of the Bulge', the metaphorical 'battle against the bulge' is compositional and cross-linguistically familiar, making it accessible to a B1 learner who knows the words.
Etymology
Battle of the bulge borrows its name from a famous World War II fight called the Battle of the Bulge, where part of the army pushed forward and made a 'bulge' shape on the map. People liked the clear image of fighting a bulge — a bulging belly — so they use battle to mean a struggle to 'lose weight' or stop gaining stomach fat.