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Poor as a Church Mouse
Poor as a Church Mouse
Poor as a Church Mouse : Phrases
Meaning:
Extremely poor; impoverished; insolvent; poor but proud.
Example:
The owner, he said, was once poor as a churchmouse.
Origin:
This 17th century expression is most likely derived from a tale which recounts the plight of a mouse that attempted to find food in a Church. Since most Churches of that time did not have kitchens, the proud mouse found it difficult to survive since its pickings were slim at best.
