žít z ruky do huby

Czech

FWOTD – 9 December 2022

Alternative forms

• žít z ruky do úst

Etymology

Literally, “to live from hand to mouth”, suggesting that one eats all the food that comes into one's hands immediately.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʒiːt zrukɪ do ɦubɪ]

Phrase

žít z ruky do huby

1. to live paycheck to paycheck, to live hand-to-mouth, to make just enough (money, etc.) to survive
   • 1996, Egon Bondy, Severin‎^[1], Votobia, →ISBN:

     […] inflační finanční politika, jež přinutila prosté lidi žít z ruky do huby, protože ušetřit už nebylo na čem a nebylo také nač, se táhla po generace a vytvořila psychologickou atmosféru, kdy jít bojovat za Říši se nikomu z občanů nechtělo.

     […] inflation politics which forced common people to live paycheck to paycheck stretched along generations and created a psychological atmosphere in which no citizen wanted to go and fight for the Reich.