Work & Money - Poverty & Financial Issues

Explore English idioms that relate to poverty and financial issues, including "feel the pinch" and "the breadline".

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to [catch] (a|) cold [phrase]

to face problems and difficulties, particularly financial ones

Ex: The investors who have put up around $ 30 million could catch a cold .

to [go] to the wall [phrase]

to suffer ruin, failure, or defeat, due to financial difficulties, and without the possibility of recovery or rescue

Ex: The once successful restaurant faced fierce competition and eventually went to the wall , unable to attract enough customers to sustain itself .

to [lose] {one's} shirt [phrase]

to lose a big sum of money, often due to a risky bet or investment

Ex: The gambler was taking high risks and eventually lost his shirt , leaving him in financial ruin .

(in|into) the red [phrase]

in debt due to spending more than one's earnings

Ex: The company 's financial statements showed that they were consistently in the red due to declining sales .

on {one's} uppers [phrase]

in an extremely bad financial condition

Ex: The novel 's protagonist , down on his luck , was on his uppers , wandering the streets without a place to call home .

to [live] (from|) hand to mouth [phrase]

to survive with only the bare minimum resources, often with no savings or financial security

Ex: Many people in impoverished regions live hand to mouth , relying on daily wages to survive .

(as|) poor as a church [mouse] [phrase]

severely lacking money

Ex:

(as|) poor as Job [phrase]

extremely lacking money

Ex: Despite his talents , the struggling artist was as poor as Job , barely making enough to cover his basic needs .

to {not} [have] a bean [phrase]

to not have any money

Ex: The charity organization helped those who did not have a bean to feed their families during tough times .

on the road [phrase]

(of people) without any home or shelter, therefore constantly moving from one location to another

Ex: The homeless man has been on the road for years , sleeping in shelters and on the streets .

the breadline [noun]

an informal threshold of income that marks the level at which a person or household is regarded as very poor or barely able to afford basic necessities

Ex: Policy proposals included a targeted tax credit for families hovering just above the breadline .

out at (the|) elbows [phrase]

used to refer to someone who does not have enough money and is considered poor by the society's standards

Ex: The charity aimed to provide assistance to families who were out at elbows due to unforeseen financial hardships .

to [feel] the pinch [phrase]

to face financial difficulties, particularly due to not having the same income as before

Ex: With the rising cost of living , many families are starting to feel the pinch and must carefully budget their expenses .

{num} out of pocket [phrase]

used to say that an amount of money was lost due to a transaction

Ex:

dry spell [noun]

a period that is lacking productivity, profit, success, etc.

Ex: The company experienced a dry spell in sales , with lower revenue during the off-season .

dirt poor [phrase]

affected by poverty to an extreme degree

Ex: She grew up in a small village , and her family was dirt poor , struggling to afford even the most basic food .

to [wipe] the slate clean [phrase]

to forgive and forget someone's debt, enabling them to start fresh without any financial obligations

Ex: After years of financial hardship , the compassionate landlord chose to wipe the slate clean for the tenant , forgiving all overdue rent payments .

to [go] out of business [phrase]

to cease to exist as a functional company or business due to financial challenges or difficulties

Ex: The economic recession caused many businesses to go out of business , leading to job losses and financial hardship .

on a shoestring [phrase]

with a minimal amount of financial resources

Ex: They managed to travel across the country on a shoestring by staying in budget accommodations and using public transportation .

flat broke [phrase]

lacking any money or financial resources

Ex: The college student was flat broke and had to rely on part-time jobs to support his studies .

a pot to piss in [phrase]

very little or no money

Ex: The family lived in a run-down shack , barely having a pot to piss in , and struggled to survive .

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