thin arm; skinny arm
Literally a thin or scrawny arm. Often used in self-deprecating or descriptive contexts.
She is self-conscious about her thin arms.
meager income; small earnings
Figurative use likening a small income to a thin arm. Slightly dated or literary, but still understood.
It's hard to support a family on a meager income.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen.
Compound of 痩せ (yase, 'thin, lean') + 腕 (ude, 'arm'). The figurative sense derives from the image of a thin arm representing meager resources.