食くうや食くわず

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.

• 彼かれは食くうや食くわずの生せい活かつを送おくっている。

  He lives a hand-to-mouth existence.

• 食くうや食くわずの貧まずしい暮くらしから抜ぬけ出だしたい。

  I want to escape this hand-to-mouth, impoverished life.