destitution

  • 立锥之地 (lì zhuī zhī dì)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 立锥之地Pinyin: lì zhuī zhī dìLiteral Meaning: Land enough only to stick an awl into. Figurative definition An extremely tiny patch of ground. Most often it means having no place to live or no property, describing utter destitution or total lack of shelter. Cultural & historical background The idiom first appears…