mess of pottage

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Definitions from WordNet

Noun mess of pottage has 1 sense

mess of pottage - anything of trivial value; "Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a mess of pottage"
--₁ is a kind of value, economic value

Definitions from the Web

Mess of Pottage

A mess of pottage refers to a meager but immediate gain or benefit that is given up for something of greater value or importance.

Noun, singular

A small amount of food, especially a simple soup or stew.
A metaphorical gain or benefit that is exchanged for something of greater value or importance.

Example sentences:

After a long day at work, she prepared a warm, comforting mess of pottage.
In the biblical tale, Esau traded his birthright, a mess of pottage, for a single meal.