fat lady

plural fat ladies

1. datedoffensiveA woman of unusually large body size formerly exhibited as a circus sideshow attraction.

   [S]ideshowmen rang bells and shouted themselves as near hoarse as is possible for sideshowmen as they exhorted the public to ‘see the fat lady’ or ‘stay two rounds with the basher to win a fiver.’

   1961, Tom Mead, Killers of Eden, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 109

   1 more example

   Opposite him was the Fat Lady, red-faced and laughing. Beside her, the India-rubber Man wound spaghetti on to a fork with an expression of deepest melancholy. Further down the table, the Strong Man, an overcoat covering his leopard-skin, talked garrulously.

   1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 26