beggars cannot be choosers
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Beggars must take what is given them, and not dictate to the giver what they like best. They must accept and be thankful.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “beggars cannot be choosers” mean?
Beggars must take what is given them, and not dictate to the giver what they like best. They must accept and be thankful.
Is “beggars cannot be choosers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.