Meaning of breath and britches | Babel Free

Definitions

1. The minimal qualities that make one a person (especially a man), either
   Southern-US, figuratively, uncountable
2. physically (implying extreme thinness) or,
   Southern-US, figuratively, uncountable
3. in terms of character, accomplishments, etc.
   Southern-US, figuratively, uncountable
4. A man of no substance.
   Southern-US, figuratively, uncountable

Examples

“[…] San Antonio Mexicans named Cisco and Pancho, both in black-market sombreros. They were skinny—all breath and britches—and short-timers, soon to go home.”

““[…] I don’t know a blessed thing but planting. What does she expect me to do? Hire out as an overseer?” I would, Guy thought clearly, coldly; before I’d accept the slightest favor from anybody. But you haven’t got that, have you, Kil? Reckon you never were anything more than breath and britches.”

“Man ain’t nothing but trouble, just breath and britches and trouble. Don’t let him feel all over you, now, don’t let a no-good man touch you, else he’ll big you up sho-nuff.”

“We’s all God’s creatures and it ain’t in the Bible to sit in the back of no buses or bow down to any man what ain’t nothing but breath and britches.”

““[…] Ah don’t want no trashy nigger, no breath-and-britches, lak Johnny Taylor usin’ yo’ body to wipe his foots on.””

CEFR level