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My mom (who is almost 80) always used the phrase "putting the big pot into the little pot" to describe an event where you went over the top with the details or the arrangements. As a "low church" Episcopalian, she would often say that the minister had "put the big pot into the little pot" if the service had too much incense or bells or chanting or processing or other such ceremony. She sometimes would also use it in referring to her mother's lavish cocktail parties.
I'm wondering about the differences between this definition and the definition Grant used in his "slang this" segment.
As I said during the slang quiz, the meaning has forked. It can mean "to stretch a meal to accommodate more guests" or "to prepare an elaborate meal." But what I did not add (in order to keep the quiz short) is that it has also been used to mean "to do something thoroughly."
The relevant page from the Dictionary of American Regional English is available at Google Books. It shows many examples of usage.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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