Idiom
mess of pottage
Meaning
Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He sold his rare collection for a mess of pottage.”
“She gave up her long-term career goals for a mess of pottage that offered only a small, temporary raise.”
“The politician traded his integrity and the long-term prosperity of his constituents for a mess of pottage, securing only a brief moment of political convenience.”
Examples
simple
“He sold his rare collection for a mess of pottage.”
contextual
“She gave up her long-term career goals for a mess of pottage that offered only a small, temporary raise.”
complex
“The politician traded his integrity and the long-term prosperity of his constituents for a mess of pottage, securing only a brief moment of political convenience.”
Origin
See sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated