broker than the Ten Commandments
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Extremely impoverished.
Register: dated, humorous
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
I needed money—Dad would have said I was broker than the Ten Commandments—so I went to get my old job back...
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “broker than the Ten Commandments” mean?
Extremely impoverished.
Is “broker than the Ten Commandments” formal or informal?
broker than the Ten Commandments is generally dated, humorous.