English Explanatory Dictionary

eat the rich

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. An expression of contempt towards capitalism and the rich, demanding an equitable redistribution of wealth.

Word forms

eat the rich

Etymology

Attributed to the Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The original quotation was: “Quand le peuple n’aura plus rien à manger, il mangera le riche.” (“When the people shall have no more to eat, they will eat the rich.”) Became popular in the 21st-century United States as an anti-capitalist motto in left-wing online communities.

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