Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Adjective Phrase 29. Today we're actually
going to cover two adjectives phrases that have nearly the same meaning.You
could either say dirt poor or piss-poor. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here.
If someone is dirt poor he or she is extremely poor or destitute. Kind of like
third-world poor. Some people claim the origin of this phrase refers back to
former times when very poor people actually had dirt floors. Only wealthy
people could afford other material usually wood. However, there are others
who dispute this claim. Because this claim goes back to like more like the
Middle Ages like 1500s, 1600s, 1700s. You know, around that time. So that might even
be more like during the Renaissance period. But there, there really were poor
people that truly did have dirt floors at that time, So that part is actually
correct. Others believe the term may have come about due to the Dust Bowl of the
1930s. Yeah. That was during the Depression but there was some certain states that used
to suffer from this. There's a Dust Bowl that came around and if you know, you
lived in that area , it made you even extremely poor. So the dust of course
would refer back to dirt. Many say this phrase did not start to appear until
around this time. During the 1930s. So that's another reason why they think that it's
more likely to be from the Dust Bowl than before. Okay. Let's take a look at
piss-poor. Piss poor also means extremely poor and we have another story for this
one. Some, some claim the origin of this term comes from the fact that at one
time urine you know, pee, urine was used to tan animal skins. Now this is true.
They claim families used to pee in a pot every day and it was brought to the
tannery to be sold. Yes. So yes every day it was brought to the
tannery to be sold. They say the poorest families could not even afford the pot and this
is where the phrase someone does not have a pot to piss in actually comes
from. I don't know if this one is is really completely true too. But it was true
that they used to tan clothes from urine at one time. Okay. And I guess they did
actually have to buy pee at one time. However, this is also disputed. So some
people also say that maybe this is not really correct.
They say ... others say that the word piss used to be an intensifier. Even though I
don't really hear it so much used as an intensifier right now. But we still do use
some of those words. Just simply to mean very or extremely, as in the words piss
poor or piss ugly. Yeah . I have heard that before.
So in that case piss ugly just means very ugly or extremely ugly. Well. Piss
poor would just be very, very poor. Okay. Anyway, we just have several examples
here to cover this. All right. So example number one. Many
families in Third-World countries are dirt poor. Yeah. Okay.
Or number two. Her life story is a rags- to -riches story. Remember that's usually
somebody was born really poor and then they become rich later. She was born piss
poor and eventually became wealthy. Okay. Good. And the last one is the idea of
like we say a pot to piss in. You can start. You can, you, you probably you
shouldn't. You shouldn't start a business with him. He doesn't have a pot to piss
in. So that means if somebody doesn't have a pot to piss in it means they have
no money at all. Okay. Anyway, hope you got it. I hope it was clear. Thank you for your time.
Bye-bye.