broke adj.1
out of funds, impoverished, poor.
 | Three Fifteenth Century Chronicles 127: This Sir. T. Lodge braky and professe to be banquerooute in his maioralitie to the grete slandar of the citie. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Crabtree Lectures 177: The name of Broker was well given to you: for you were Broak before you set up. | |
| Worth of a Penny (1687) 3: Others there are again, who match themselves for a little handsomeness [...] and sometimes drawn in hereto by broken Knaves. | |
| ‘The Ranting Wanton’s Resolution’ in Bagford Ballads (1880) 480: When this Gallant’s broke, / I’ve another bespoke. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | ‘Englands Joy’ in Broadside Ballads No. 99: The broken Cits no more shall lick their Chops, / They’l turn agen Blue apron’d men. | |
| Country-Wife I i: I have known ’em, when they are broke and can lose no more, keep a-fumbling with the box in their hands to fool with only. | |
| Triumph of Wit (1707) 194: The Cully is brushed. [The Fellow is rubbed off or broken]. | |
| ‘A Trip to Jamaica’ in Writings (1704) 154: Three Broken Tradesmen, who had lost their Credit. | |
| Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 63: A pretty engine to preserve bankers and insurers from breaking, and when they are broke, that they will pay all their debts as far as it may stand with their convenience. | |
| Lives of the Gamesters (1930) 188: A broken tradesman, who had good business till he fell into gamesters hands. | |
| Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: alsatians the Inhabitants of these two Places [i.e. Higher and Lower Alsatia] broken Tradesmen, extravagant Spendthrifts. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Dead Alive (1783) 5: Alas! he is all broke – and ma foi – I am all broke again. | |
| Belle’s Stratagem 5: I am broke to my last shilling. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. III 34: I am broke, flat broke! I haven’t a dollar left! | |
| Wkly Varieties (Boston, MA) 3 Sept. 8/1: Avoid the broker in your time of need, / Or, (sure as shooting) you’ll get ‘broke’ indeed! | |
| Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 43/2: He had parted with everything of value that he had with him upon meeting her, and was now completely ‘broke’. | |
| Wanderings of a Vagabond 372: When he got broke, he never hung about the tables, or tried to borrow stakes from any one. | |
| Forty Years a Gambler 16: I [...] then shipped for Cincinnati, where I remained until I was very near broke. | |
| ‘The Rigadoon’ Dagonet Ditties 120: The young M.P. had run in debt, / Was ‘broke,’ and could not pay his bet. | |
| Sister Carrie 512: I’m ‘broke’ now. | |
| Types from City Streets 38: Chuck, I’m dead broke, gimme a drink. | |
| ‘One Touch of Art’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 210: And you’re broke? I thought youse actors get a lot o’ money. | |
| Little Caesar (1932) 120: I’m broke, boss. I ain’t got a cent. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Sheepmates 65: Though he was the ‘brokest’ of the party of eight, he was the cheeriest. | |
| Gun for Sale (1973) 10: Have you brought the money? I’m broke. | |
| Really the Blues 84: It wasn’t like the joint went broke for being so hincty. | |
| letter 20 June in Leader (2000) 234: I shdn’t ask unless I was broak. | |
| On The Road (1972) 72: He made incredible twenty dollar bets to win, and before the seventh race he was broke. | |
| Imabelle 10: Out of a job. Broke and hungry. | |
| Rage in Harlem (1969) 12: [as 1957]. | |
| Dopefiend (1991) 44: She had come to his house broke and sick. | |
| All Bull 124: A small huddle of soldiers who were broke [...] would come once a fortnight. | |
| ‘Double Scank’ in Mi Revalueshanary Fren (2002) 4: ‘I a look a money, Buzza; / come fahwod wid some dunny.’ / di breddah seh him bruk. | |
| (con. 1940s–60s) ‘Ed Leary’ in Eve. Sun Turned Crimson (1998) 124: He [...] figured I was probably broke and could use a couple of drinks. | |
| Skin Tight 21: Being broke and savagely divorced, Stranahan took the coupons. | |
| Source Oct. 167: You can best believe that I’m not falling in love with no broke nigga. | |
| Love Is a Racket 129: Everyone of them walks out broke-ass and near butt-naked. | |
| Portable Promised Land (ms.) 37: I never really knew what he was talkin about cuz he was always broke. | |
| ‘The Pager’ Wire ser. 1 ep. 5 [TV script] Maybe you could let a little something go till the payday, because you know right now we some broke-ass niggers. | |
| (con. 1973) Johnny Porno 24: Look, John is always broke [...] he owes me two weeks now. | |
| Thrill City [ebook] Why the hell did I have to get knocked up by a broke journo? | |
| On the Bro’d 153: A bunch of broke-ass towns with stupid names. | |
| Good Girl Stripped Bare 13: ‘The man on the news said he was sending the country broke’. | |
| Blacktop Wasteland 133: ‘[Y]ou don’t think broke-ass Ronnie Sessions throwing around money ain’t gonna attract some attention?’. |
In phrases
(Aus.) in great need of, desperate for; esp. in the phr. broke for a feed, very hungry.
| Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. | |
| I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 231/1: broke for – in need of, as ‘I’m broke for a new dress’. |
absolutely penniless.
| ‘Duke Tritton’s Letter’ n.p.: I rambled over to the Rubbity Dub and had a pint of Oh My Dear. In fact I had several and finished up in the dead house, broke to the wide. But they left me my Willy Wag and gave me a bit of tucker. | |
| Sporting Times 2 May 1/4: Grannan, after winning pots of money at the game, has just died in New York—in the familiar vernacular, ‘broke to the wide’. | |
| Handful of Ausseys 163: Just a quid ter carry me on sarge. I’m broke to the wide, dinkum. | |
| Golden Scorpion 231: An’ not a ‘oat’ in me pocket— not a ‘bean’! Broke to the wide. | |
| (con. WWI) Gloss. of Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: Broke to the wide. Financially embarrassed; devoid of cash. | |
| Dundee Courier 2 Sept. 11/5: She was ‘broke to the wide’. | |
| Shilling for Candles 31: [S]he soon found out I was broke to the wide. | |
| Prelude to a Certain Midnight Bk I Ch. x: The Tiger Fitzpatrick [...] muttered: ‘I’m broke to the wide.’. | |
| Argus (Melbourne) 30 Apr. 4/2: There are many other Aussie terms for the penniless state: ‘Broke to the wide’ [...] ‘on the outer’. |
see separate entry.
see separate entries.
see separate entry.
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(US) worthless, useless.
| Waiters 74: Just another broke-ass waiter. Like the bear—nowhere. | |
| Tattoo the Wicked Cross (1981) 208: Beat on the punk, / knock him around, / bloody him up, / make him bawl like a broke-dick-dog. | |
| Bad (1995) 64: This dude gets out looking sharper than a broke-dick dog. | |
| Union-management Relations in a Changing Economy 377: The supervisor reiterated that he was going to get the grievant’s ‘black ass fired.’ The supervisor further disparaged the grievant by stating that he was a ‘broke ass nigger’. | |
| [album title] Clean as a Broke-Dick Dog. | |
| Texas Monthly Oct. 🌐 Things that break or don’t work are invariably called ‘broke-dick’. | |
| Them (2008) 27: I’m po as a broke-dick dog. | |
| Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 11: Ya gotcha hair all blown out and duddied up lookn like a broke ass Steve Harvey and shit. | |
| Darker Side of Paradise [ebook] That’s a load I can’t help you carry...even the bread. I'm as broke as a broke dick dog. |