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beggar
beggar a person who lives by asking for money or food.
beggar on horseback a formerly poor person made arrogant or corrupt through achieving wealth and luxury; recorded from the early 16th century. The phrase is related to the late 16th century saying, set a beggar on horseback and he'll ride to the devil, meaning that a person unused to power will make unwise use of it. The Beggar's Opera is a low-life ballad opera (1728) by John Gay (1685–1732), combining burlesque and political satire in its story of the highwayman Macheath who is betrayed by the informer Peachum. In the 20th century, Bertolt Brecht's version of Gay's work, The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper, 1928) was one of the theatrical successes of Weimar Germany. beggars can't be choosers someone who is destitute is in no position to criticize what may be offered. Saying from the mid 16th century, which in its original form ran, ‘beggars should not be choosers.’ |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "beggar." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "beggar." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-beggar.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "beggar." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-beggar.html |
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beggar
beggar Illness or some physical disability such as blindness and lameness made it impossible to earn a living; recourse to people's charity was the only way of surviving. There are numerous accounts of beggars in the gospels and Acts (e.g. Mark 10: 46–52; Acts 3: 10); the only named character in a parable is the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16: 19–30. Disinterested charity (Matt. 6: 3) would have seemed extraordinary in the Graeco-Roman world (see poor)—but it is commanded by Jesus, especially as recorded in the gospel of Luke (e.g. 12: 33; 18: 22).
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "beggar." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "beggar." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-beggar.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "beggar." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-beggar.html |
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beggar
beg·gar / ˈbegər/ • n. 1. a person, typically a homeless one, who lives by asking for money or food. 2. inf. a person of a specified type, often one to be envied or pitied: poor little beggars. • v. [tr.] reduce (someone) to poverty: by being soft to the unfortunate, we beggared ourselves. |
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Cite this article
"beggar." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "beggar." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-beggar.html "beggar." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-beggar.html |
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beggar
beggar
•blagger, bragger, dagger, flagger, Jagger, lagger, nagger, quagga, saggar, shagger, stagger, swagger
•alga, realgar, Trafalgar
•anger, clangour (US clangor), Katanga, languor, manga, panga, sangar, tanga, Tauranga, Zamboanga
•sandbagger • carpetbagger • Erlanger
•Aga, Braga, dagga, dargah, laager, lager, naga, Onondaga, raga, saga
•beggar, eggar, Gregor, mega, Megger
•Edgar • Helga • Heidegger
•bootlegger
•Jaeger, maigre, Meleager, Noriega, Ortega, rutabaga, Sagar
•Antigua, beleaguer, bodega, eager, intriguer, leaguer, meagre (US meager), reneger, Riga, Seeger, Vega
•chigger, configure, digger, figure, Frigga, jigger, ligger, rigger, rigor, rigour, snigger, swigger, transfigure, trigger, vigour (US vigor)
•churinga, finger, linger, malinger
•gravedigger • ladyfinger • forefinger
•omega • vinegar • Honegger
•outrigger • Minnesinger
•Auriga, Eiger, liger, saiga, taiga, tiger
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Cite this article
"beggar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "beggar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-beggar.html "beggar." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-beggar.html |
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