# borrow and beg

idiom · Slang

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/borrow-and-beg
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

egg

## Examples

- I had to beg and borrow to pay my rent this month.
- To finish the project on time, the team had to beg and borrow resources from every other department.
- The struggling artist had to beg and borrow from friends and family just to keep his small studio open for another year.

## Origin

A term that enjoyed a fresh lease of life during the second world war and the food-rationing period.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.