Question

Poor as a Church Mouse very poor; poverty-stricken

Accepted Answer

The Richards used to be wealthy, but after the stock market crash in 1987, they were as poor as church mice. This simile first appeared in English in the 17th century. Originally it was "hungry as a church mouse" because a mouse that was so unlucky as to live in a church would find no food there. Churches in the 1600s had no kitchens to cook meals and no pantries to store food. A smart mouse would take up residence in the cellar of a house, restaurant, or grocery store. As years went by, "hungry" was changed to "poor," and the idiom became popular in many countries.

Idiom	Poor as a Church Mouse
Example	The Richards used to be wealthy, but after the stock market crash in 1987, they were as poor as church mice.
Meaning	very poor; poverty-stricken
Origin	This simile first appeared in English in the 17th century. Originally it was "hungry as a church mouse" because a mouse that was so unlucky as to live in a church would find no food there. Churches in the 1600s had no kitchens to cook meals and no pantries to store food. A smart mouse would take up residence in the cellar of a house, restaurant, or grocery store. As years went by, "hungry" was changed to "poor," and the idiom became popular in many countries.

Church Mouse Poor Richards Wealthy Stock Market Crash