a mess of pottage

noun phrase

old-fashioned
: something that has little or no value
They sold/traded their birthright for a mess of pottage.

Examples of a mess of pottage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In effect, for a mess of pottage, a public school sold an inflated but permanent artistic legacy to a private citizen. Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2022 That is what caused the Big 4 firms to sell their birthright for a mess of pottage by peddling bogus shelters around the turn of the millennium. Peter J Reilly, Forbes, 19 June 2021

Dictionary Entries Near a mess of pottage

Cite this Entry

“A mess of pottage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20mess%20of%20pottage. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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