Fig.: to chat, especially in a relaxed and casual way. To talk idly, just to pass the time

That's what I call a waste of money: making intercontinental calls just to shoot the breeze

Ecco quello che considero uno spreco di denaro: fare telefonate intercontinentali solo per fare quattro chiacchiere

Sometimes, to get away from it all, it's enough to sit down in front of a nice cup of tea chewing the fat with your friends

A volte, per estraniarsi da tutto, basta sedersi davanti ad una bella tazza di te e scambiare quattro chiacchiere con le amiche

In the age of sailing, salt pork was basic to the diet of seamen. When supplied ran low, the crew might receive a chunk of rind instead of a slice of meat. The rind was tough and uneatable, but the layer of fat attached to it was better than nothing. So the sailors would chew on rinds, chewing off the fat, while chatting in a very casual way. Therefore, a casual conversation was linked to the chewing of fat. This sailors' expression entered in modern-day language in the late 19th century