the haves and the have-nots

the haves and the have-nots

Those with a lot of money, compared to those with very little. This city is the living embodiment of the haves and the have-nots: the penthouse apartments and giant tech companies casting a shadow directly over the tenements and slums.
See also: and, have
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the ˌhaves and the ˈhave-nots

the rich people and the poor people: You can see the haves and the have-nots in this city — the millionaires in their huge houses and the homeless sleeping on the streets.
See also: and, have
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • the haves
  • matter of opinion
  • matter of opinion, a
  • a far cry from (something)
  • a far cry from something
  • far cry
  • far cry from
  • far cry from, a
  • in living memory
  • in/within living memory
References in periodicals archive
Guinier: Michael Lind recently wrote a terrific article in Harper's on the haves and the have-nots. And he talks about the haves as the contemporary counterparts to feudal lords who are creating structures, both architecturally and figuratively, to barricade themselves from the rest of the population.
A 'commonplace' conversation with Lani Guinier