«عَلَى شَانْ بَطْنُهْ حَلَقُوا دَقْنُهْ»

The saying describes a man who gives up his self-respect to get something to eat. Out of need, he lets others expose him to mockery. The beard, a traditional marker of a man's dignity, is shaved by others with his consent: a visible public shame accepted as the price of a full stomach.

In broader use, it can point to anyone who tolerates humiliation, ridicule, or degrading conditions because he depends on another person for his basic needs. Depending on the speaker, it may carry contempt for his weakness or a bitter sympathy for how hunger and need force people to swallow insult. It is not praise for practical compromise.

Use this about someone who puts up with insult, ridicule, or degrading terms because he needs food or a livelihood. It fits remarks on dependence, or on a person whose need has outweighed his pride. Use it cautiously with the person concerned, since it points to his humiliation.