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
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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a mess of pottage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“A mess of pottage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20mess%20of%20pottage. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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