IdiomAnimals
English
Englishpoor as a church mouse
Meaning: Extremely poor.
Example: “When they married, they were as poor as church mice.”
Origin: A church has no kitchen or pantry, so a mouse living there finds nothing to eat. The comparison is recorded in English from the 17th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Portuguese: matar cachorro a grito Literally: To kill a dog by shouting
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