beggars can't be choosers

English

Proverb

beggars can't be choosers

1. (idiomatic) Something is better than nothing: those who can't provide for themselves should accept whatever help is available.
   • 2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.3, at p.60:

     Mo went online and found me a beggars-can't-be-choosers flight out of Denver: a 5.45 a.m. takeoff, a three-hour layover at O'Hare. I'd land in Hartford by late afternoon.
     "I'll be fine," I said. "Drink a lot of coffee, drive right from school to the airport. I can crash once I get on the plane." She frowned. "Okay, let me rephrase that. I can sleep once I get on the plane."

Synonyms

• something is better than nothing, half a loaf is better than none, don't look a gift horse in the mouth; see also Thesaurus:satisfactory

Coordinate terms

• Hobson's choice
• take it or leave it
• my way or the highway

Translations

when resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: на хари́зан кон зъ́бите не се гле́дат (na harízan kon zǎ́bite ne se glédat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 飢不擇食 / 饥不择食 (zh) (jībùzéshí)

• Czech: darovanému koni na zuby nehleď (cs)
• Dutch: men mag een gegeven paard niet in de bek zien
• Estonian: vaene ei tohi pirtsutada
• Finnish: köyhällä ei ole varaa nirsoilla
• French: faute de grives, on mange des merles (fr)
• German: in der Not schmeckt jedes Brot, in der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen (de)
• Hungarian: éhes ember nem válogat (hu), eszi, nem eszi, nem kap mást, ez van, ezt kell szeretni
• Icelandic: vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðum, (figurative) hafa skal það sem hendi er næst
• Italian: questo passa il convento
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Malay:

  Jawi: برشکور دڠن يڠ اد

  Rumi: bersyukur dengan yang ada

• Polish: jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się ma (pl), lepszy rydz niż nic (pl), lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu (pl), lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sęku (pl), lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sęku (pl), na bezrybiu i rak ryba (pl), z braku laku dobry kit (pl)
• Portuguese: a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes
• Romanian: nemulțumitului i se ia darul, calul de dar nu se caută la dinți
• Russian: бедняки́ не выбира́ют (bednjakí ne vybirájut)
• Scottish Gaelic: na dèan àilgheas air tìodhlac
• Slovene: v sili še hudič muhe žre
• Spanish: a caballo regalado no le mires el diente, a mucha hambre, no hay pan duro
• Swedish: skåda inte given häst i munnen
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 22.