THE CUPBOARD IS BARE


Meaning of THE CUPBOARD IS BARE in English

( BrE ) used to say that there is no money for sth :

They are seeking more funds but the cupboard is bare.

ORIGIN: This expression refers to a children's nursery rhyme about Old Mother Hubbard, who had nothing in her cupboard to feed her dog.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.