"Beggars can't be choosers" means that if you beg for something
free, you don't have a say in what you get. It's something you say to
someone who is getting something without working for it, and then
complaining about what they got. It's not really an insult, but it is
something you would say to someone who is complaining about something
they got for free, so it is a bit of a reprimand. You might also say
this if you yourself got something free, and it turned out to be of poor
quality - instead of complaining, you would say "Oh well, beggars can't
be choosers."
Yes, it can be an insult, but it would depend on the context. Someone
who begs obviously does so because they desire something that must be
given to them by someone else in a position to be charitable, someone of
superior circumstances; they beg because they want something they
themselves cannot afford, theyre impoverished in that respect. One who
must beg is in no position to make demands, so they should appreciate
whatever it is they can get.
Those in dire need must be content with what they get. For example, The cheapest model will have to do--beggars can't be choosers. This expression was familiar enough to be included in John Heywood's 1546 collection of proverbs.
The phrase "Beggars can't be choosers" references the idea that those who find themselves in a situation of need must not be selective about what help or resources they accept.
The literal example would be a beggar (homeless or impoverished individual) being offered a sandwich and saying "no thanks, I don't like tuna".
An alternative example may be a man who finds difficulty in attracting women rejecting the advances of a girl based on her appearance, in which case his friends may say to him "beggars can't be choosers!". In such a situation, the idiom may also be used as slight insult as it implies that the gentleman in question is a 'beggar' with regards to the attentions of the opposite sex.
Those in dire need must be content with what they get. For example, The cheapest model will have to do--beggars can't be choosers. This expression was familiar enough to be included in John Heywood's 1546 collection of proverbs.
The phrase "Beggars can't be choosers" references the idea that those who find themselves in a situation of need must not be selective about what help or resources they accept.
The literal example would be a beggar (homeless or impoverished individual) being offered a sandwich and saying "no thanks, I don't like tuna".
An alternative example may be a man who finds difficulty in attracting women rejecting the advances of a girl based on her appearance, in which case his friends may say to him "beggars can't be choosers!". In such a situation, the idiom may also be used as slight insult as it implies that the gentleman in question is a 'beggar' with regards to the attentions of the opposite sex.
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