-
Beggars can't be choosers
Beggars can't be choosersPeople who depend on the generosity of others are in no position to dictate what others give them.
-
beggars can't be choosers
beggars can't be choosersThose 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.
Beggars can't be choosers
CulturalExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He wants to play until he is 41, says Balague, who added that someone needs to tell him that "beggars can't be choosers".
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2022
"You don’t want that to happen, but I think beggars can’t be choosers right now," Mookie Betts said.
From Fox News • May 9, 2021
“You don’t want that to happen, but I think beggars can’t be choosers right now,” Mookie Betts said.
From Seattle Times • May 8, 2021
Ok, so it's not the full complement - there are still four live televised games spread across the weekend - but beggars can't be choosers, as West Ham know all too well.
From The Guardian • Jan. 22, 2011
She says it’s rotten and full of white maggots but beggars can’t be choosers.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.