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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Do not sell your soul for a mess of pottage like Esau to Jacob. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2024 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 26 Dec. 2024.

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