Despite my past career as a typographer, I had never heard this one. But now I have and I'm laughing:
6. (Typog.) Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; — said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.; as, a fat take; a fat page.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Type used to be charged by the galley, i.e. by the inch. So, lots of leading, lots of white space meant more money.
The new motto: May all your work be fat!
Posted by campbell at May 29, 2003 11:26 PM | TrackBack