hewers of wood and drawers of water

American  

[hyoo-erz uhv wood and draw-erz uhv waw-ter, wot-er, yoo-erz] / ˈhyu ərz ʌv ˈwʊd ænd ˈdrɔ ərz ʌv ˈwɔ tər, ˈwɒt ər, ˈyu ərz /

plural noun

1. performers of menial tasks, as characterized in the Bible.

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Example Sentences

He explained: “Underlying much of the commentary is a thinly veiled offensive against South Africa’s right to determine her own foreign and domestic policy. In this context, a policy affirmation to the African diaspora which has suffered the crimes of slavery and racism sets a bad example to those who want to keep Africans as hewers of wood and drawers of water!”

From The Guardian

The Dutch Reformed Church provided a religious justification for apartheid; its ministers once preached that blacks were inferior beings, the "hewers of wood and drawers of water" of the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament.

From BBC

If we can't dare to dream big it would leave us as hewers of wood and drawers of water!

From BBC

The working people must no longer be hewers of wood and drawers of water.

From Project Gutenberg

Mother," said he, "would that they had been hewers of wood and drawers of water.

From Project Gutenberg