Beggars can’t be choosers – meaning, origin and usage

Have you ever heard someone say “beggars can’t be choosers” and wondered what it meant? This article is going to tell you exactly that. We will also look into how the phrase may have originated, before going on to discuss how the phrase may be used in conversation. Finally, we will then wrap up with a discussion on similar and synonymous phrases. So, without further ado, let’s get straight to it!

What is the meaning of the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers”?

The phrase “beggars can’t be choosers” is simply an old proverb that means that beggars and poor people alike must take and accept whatever they are offered because they are desperate and have no other choice.

What is the origin of the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers”?

While the exact origin of the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers”, and the initial coinage of the term is not definitively known, we do know that it’s a long standing proverb that originated in the United Kingdom, and dates back at least as far as the 1500s. One early written usage of the term appears in the 1562 version of Proverbs, where it is written:

“Beggers should be no choosers, but yet they will:

Who can bryng a begger from choyse to begge still?”

Prior to this, there was a very similar phrase in use in the English language that came from John Heywood in his book Dialogue of Proverbs published in 1546, which was “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” This was considered to mean much the same thing, in that people who are low in options should be grateful for what they do get, rather than be critical.

The phrase “beggars can’t be choosers” has even been used by William Shakespeare in his 1601 play The Merchant of Venice.

How do you use the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers” in conversation - with examples

• The job market is tough. Beggars can’t be choosers you know.
• Beggars can’t be choosers. I’ve only got £20 cash until payday.

Person 1: Here you go.

Person 2: Is that all you’ve got for me?

Person 1: Beggars can’t be choosers.

Person A: Oh well, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers.

Person B: Yeah, I guess.

Person X: I don’t like the interest rate on this loan

Person Y: But you know your credit rating. Beggars can’t be choosers you know.

What can you say instead of the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers”?

Here are some alternative sayings that can occasionally be used in place of the phrase:

• Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Be content with what is offered. You might not get anything else.
• Take what you can get. It’s not like you have much choice.
• Make do with what you have. Make the most of it.
• You have to accept the offer. It’s not what we wanted but the auction is done.

Final word

So, in summary, the old proverb “beggars can’t be choosers” means that beggars and poor people alike must accept whatever they are offered because they are desperate and have no other choice.

The proverb originates in the UK and dates back to at least the 1500s. The phrase has even been used by Shakespeare, famously appearing in the play Merchant in Venice.