poor as a church mouse

Meaning: (simile,idiomatic)Verypoor, to the point ofstarvingorbegging; utterlydestitute.Synonyms:poor as a rat,poor as Job;see alsoThesaurus:impoverished1844, a Mouse (sic),Le Peuple Souriquois: An Historical Sketch, in The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist, vol. 71, pt. 2, page 428But to return to our public functions; that we have had a decided turn for the church appears from the fact that the church-mouse is a recognised order amongst us, and it is our just pride that we alone have preserved the genuine character of the institution as founded by the Apostles, inasmuch as our poverty has passed into a proverb— "aspoor as a church-mouse."1879,John Beatty,The Citizen-Soldier‎[1], Cincinnati: Wilstach, Baldwin & Co., page17:She was an Eastern Virginia woman, and, althoughpoor as a church mouse, thought herself superior to West Virginia people.1932April 9, Isidor Schneider, “Hard Luck Of Poets”, inThe New York Times‎[2]:"As poor as a poet" would be quite as comprehensible as "aspoor as a church mouse."2009September 23, Mark Gould, quoting Paul Pulford, “Former heroin addict inspires growing optimism from the wild side”, inThe Guardian‎[3]:Pulford is currently building a raised bed for an allotment, and another school garden is due to open soon. "I'mpoor as a church mouse, but I wake up a happy man," he says.

Examples:

EN: I know he must've been a gentleman sometime or other but he's as poor as a church mouse now.
ES: En otro tiempo debió ser todo un caballero pero ahora es más pobre que un ratón de iglesia.
EN: I'm as poor as a church mouse!
ES: ¡Soy más pobre que un ratón de iglesia!
EN: I'm as poor as a church mouse, like all scholars.
ES: Soy pobre como las ratas, como cualquier hombre de letras.
EN: As poor as a church mouse.
ES: Pobres como Job.
ES: Y tan pobre como debe ser una iglesia.
EN: Has a widowed mother who's as poor as a church mouse.
ES: Su madre es viuda y pobre como una rata.
EN: I know he must have been a real gentleman at one time or another... but he's as poor as a church mouse now.
ES: Debió ser un auténtico caballero, pero ahora es más pobre que las ratas.
EN: "Fidalma, poor as a church mouse, locked Marianne right out of her house"!
ES: "La Fidalma, pobre caña, le ha puesto el cerrojo a la Marianna"
EN: But somehow it didn't look just right to me. This rich boy and Velma, poor as a church mouse. So me and Ma, we brings her out here to her mother.
ES: A mi no me pareció bien, ese joven rico y Velma, pobre como una rata, por lo que la abuela y yo decidimos traerla con su madre.
EN: They say she's as poor as a church mouse.
ES: Dicen que es más pobre que las ratas.
EN: I can remember a medical student... Who was poor as a church mouse... and a girl who wanted to be a great lady.
ES: Recuerdo a un estudiante de medicina pobre como ratón de iglesia y una chica que quería ser una gran dama.
EN: If stupidity isn't reimbursed by Social Security you'll end up as poor as a church mouse.
ES: Si la estupidez no fuera recompensada por la seguridad social, usted acabaría en la miseria.
EN: I'm sorry to tell you this, my dear, but Mr. Pollock is as poor as a church mouse.
ES: Lo siento por ti, querida, pero el Sr. Pollock es pobre como las ratas.
EN: - Well if I'm not eligible, here's one who is, welfare will love Arthur, he's poor as a church mouse.
ES: Bien, siendo que yo no puedo optar, hay alguien aquí que le encantará El pobre Arthur es pobre como una rata
EN: This bloke's a poor as a church mouse!
ES: ¡Ajá! Sin blanca. El topo éste es como una rata de iglesia.
EN: You're poor as a church mouse.
ES: Tienes menos dinero que las ratas.

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