give the shirt off one's back

Idioms & Phrases

give the shirt off one's back

Give anything and everything one possesses. For example, Tom is truly generoushe'll give you the shirt off his back. This hyperbolic idiom was first recorded in 1771.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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