hand to mouth
Meaning: To live in poor conditions from day to day; to be impoverished.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The expression suggests that a person's need is so immediate that what he collects in hand goes straight into his mouth and that there is no room for saving or planning ahead.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- head and shoulders above — At a much higher level.
- have one's head in the clouds — To be impractical or absent-minded; to be unaware of what is going on around one.
- head over heels in love — Very much in love; uncontrollably in love.
- heart to heart — Serious and intimate.
- hit the nail on the head — To come to the right conclusion.
- not hold one's breath — To not wait for something to happen because it probably won't happen soon, if at all.
More English idioms
- hold one's tongue — To refrain from speaking.
- huff and puff — To be out of breath (sentence 1) or to threaten ineffectually (sentence 2).
- in over one's head — Beyond one's capability (sentence 1); to have taken on more than one can cope with (sente…
- it's no skin off someone's nose — It has no effect on someone or it is of no concern to someone.
- keep one's head above water — To just barely manage to stay ahead, financially (sentence 1) or with one's work or respo…
- keep one's nose to the grindstone — To work hard without rest.
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