# kill the fatted calf

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/kill-the-fatted-calf
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To begin a festive celebration and rejoice for someone's long-awaited return.

## Examples

- We will kill the fatted calf when our daughter finally comes home.
- The family decided to kill the fatted calf to celebrate their brother's return after five years abroad.
- When the retired captain finally visited his old neighborhood, his neighbors decided to kill the fatted calf by hosting a massive block party in his honor.
- Upon the prodigal traveler's arrival, the village elders prepared to kill the fatted calf, marking the end of his long and arduous journey.

## Origin

The phrase comes from the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:23. When the younger son returns home after squandering his inheritance, the father orders his servants to bring the fatted calf and kill it, so that the household can feast and celebrate the son's return. A fatted calf was an animal deliberately fattened and kept for a special occasion, so slaughtering it marked a lavish, joyful welcome rather than an ordinary meal. From this the phrase came to mean laying on a generous celebration to greet someone, particularly someone who has come back after an absence.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.