crumbs from the rich man's table

crumbs from (one's) table

An insufficient or unfair amount of something provided by one when one has a sufficient or abundant amount. I know he can afford to pay me more, so I refuse to accept crumbs from his table.
See also: crumb, table

crumbs from the rich man's table

An insufficient or unfair amount of something provided by one who has an abundance. I know he can afford to pay me more, so I refuse to accept crumbs from the rich man's table
See also: crumb, rich, table
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

crumbs from someone's (or a rich man's) table

an unfair and inadequate or unsatisfactory share of something.
Luke 16:21 describes the beggar Lazarus as ‘desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table’.
See also: crumb, table
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • crumbs from (one's) table
  • crumbs from someone's table
  • if that
  • amount to
  • as many as
  • as many as...
  • by a margin (of something)
  • margin
  • in the order of (some amount)
  • in/of the order of
References in periodicals archive
Keith dismisses it as "crumbs from the rich man's table".
We need EU more than they need us
He criticises The Journal for seeming to say that we should "accept crumbs from the rich man's table while praying for jam tomorrow." Well, I did precisely that, especially as Gateshead's Chair of Housing for 15 years.
Journey they didn't want; Letters
Nor do I want to see Wales being denuded of its natural resources without receiving any return, or just scraping along with diminishing crumbs from the rich man's table.
Eroders of our values will not get my vote; Views of Wales
The formerly poor Lazarus, covered with sores that the dogs licked and hoping for crumbs from the rich man's table, was carried off by the angels to be with Abraham in comfort.
Jesus teaches compassion for the poor
ED MILIBAND needs a strategy fast to expose what I'll call David Cameron's "crumbs from the rich man's table" con.
Ed's choking as Cameron feasts
As the Liberals no longer exist as a political force, the choice is between crumbs from the rich man's table or bread from the breadline.
No comforting crumbs THE coming General Election is; LETTER FROM THE PAST
According to union representatives at Jacobs, Christmas bonuses are nothing short of crumbs from the rich man's table.
SCROOGE BOSSES RAPPED; Firms mean at Christmas, say unions
The risk is that it has won the ear of Ken Livingstone, and that his London Plan may give carte blanche to a forest of skyscrapers all around the City borders--in cahoots with the surrounding boroughs, who may welcome crumbs from the rich man's table.
What lies beneath--and what could be above. (Planning World)
Instead of restoring the pensions link to earnings, we are offered crumbs from the rich man's table.
Let's have a fair deal for pensioners now; LETTERS: SATURDAY SOAPBOX
The Journal seems to be saying we know this isn't adequate but we should accept crumbs from the rich man's table while praying for jam tomorrow Osborne's offer is undoubtedly puny compared with the needs of our region and in comparison with other English regions.
Osborne's offer is puny; Letters
The Tory leader offers a few tainted crumbs from the rich man's table for the many while planning huge tax cuts for the few.
Cam's rat trap is a sign of failure
The argument seems to be that London is still drinking all the plonk, and eating all the bix, with the rest of us starving and constantly accepting crumbs from the rich man's table.
Time to crack down on the ham sandwiches and sham arts; GEORGE RODDAM CURRIE says it is time for a good deal more rigour on arts spending