Sitting

'At one sitting' is a phrase I've not thought about very much. I think it must be a reference to old-time portraiture, in which a subject had to be with the artist for multiple sittings, and a hack job or an inspired work of genius would result if the painting was done 'at one sitting'.

Then again, you could be creative about what the 'sitting' might refer to as well. It might be consumption of a large meal, like the legendary excesses of Gargantua and Pantagruel; it might be the legendary consequences of such large meals; it might be work done at a desk, like a scholarly paper dashed out without the author ever standing up.

I am sure you can think of more sittings. Currently, I am in my third round of sittings.