hand to mouth, from

¹

from hand to mouth

²

Idioms and Phrases

With only the bare essentials, existing precariously. For example, After she lost her job she was living from hand to mouth . This expression alludes to eating immediately whatever is at hand. [c. 1500]

Example Sentences

I'm confoundedly tired of Speckport, and this from-hand-to-mouth life.

From Project Gutenberg