expression, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
hand-to-mouth; barely scraping by
Describes a precarious financial situation where one barely manages to eat each day. Often used with 生活 or 暮らし.
彼は食うや食わずの生活を送っている。
He lives a hand-to-mouth existence.
食うや食わずの貧しい暮らし
I want to escape this hand-to-mouth, impoverished life.