a poor man's (someone/something)

someone or something that is similar to a well-known person or thing but is not as good.

He was only ever a mediocre singer - they used to call him 'the poor man's Frank Sinatra'.

'So what did you think of the film?' 'It was just a poor man's 'Pulp Fiction'.'

• the dice are loaded against
• the dice are loaded against someone
• the die is cast
• the dog days
• the done thing
• the dreaded lurgy
• the dust settles
• the early bird catches the worm.
• the earth moved
• the ebb and flow
• the ebb and flow of
• the ebb and flow of something
• the end justifies the means.
• the end of the line
• the end of the road
• the eye of the storm
• the factory floor
• the facts of life
• the fag-end of
• the fag-end of something
• the fairer sex
• the fair sex
• the fat is in the fire
• the feathers fly
• the final curtain