Supper's ready
Posted by Lewis on May 11, 2006
In Reply to: Can't sing for toffee posted by bekki on May 09, 2006
: What's the origin for "can't sing for toffee"?
the expression is that people sometimes have to sing for their supper (as travelling minstrels did) - the comparison is that somebody is so poor that not only could they not get a meal by singing, they could not justify being paid even a small sweet.
hope that helps.
L