put on the feed bag

1. Also, tie on the feed bag. Eat a meal, as in Come on, it's time to put on the feed bag. This slangy term, alluding to a horse's feed bag that is literally tied on, dates from the early 1900s.

Example Sentences

“We really put on the feed bag,” he said.

From The New Yorker

As for bass fishing, those Largemouth and Smallmouth are starting to put on the feed bag again after their post-spawn recuperation.

From Seattle Times

My idea was to put on the feed bag, and then go around to the corner and play a little pinochle with the gang.

From Project Gutenberg