“live (from) hand to mouth” 意思是:
“只有足够的钱支付食物和住所等基本生活必需品，勉强糊口，勉强维持生计没有积蓄，日子过得紧紧巴巴的，艰难度日，朝不保夕，度日维艰，生活困窘，拮据至极，吃了上顿没有下顿”。这是因为在16世纪，美国爆发大饥荒，那个时候人们手上有什么东西都会直接放到嘴里吃掉，以防被别人抢走或偷走。
to spend all the money you earn on basic needs such as food without being able to save any money
例句：
When I was young, I was happy even though I lived hand to mouth.年轻的时候，我吃一顿算一顿，勉强度日，但那时我很快乐。
With another child on the way, it looks like we'll be living from hand to mouth for the foreseeable future.
随着另一个孩子的到来，在可预见的未来，我们似乎将过着勉强糊口的生活。
I don't earn much money, so I have to live hand to mouth.我挣的钱不多，所以只能勉强糊口。
When I had no job last winter, I had to live from hand to mouth.去年冬天没找到工作，我不得不过着勉强糊口的生活。
When Brad lost his regular job, he had to take any temporary one that came along. He lived hand to mouth.
当布拉德失去了他的正式工作，他不得不接受任何临时的工作。他勉强糊口。
Since I had no job last winter, I had to live from hand to mouth.
因为去年冬天没找到工作，我不得不过着勉强糊口的生活。
I've just lost my job, so I'm now living hand to mouth.我刚刚失业，所以现在勉强对付着过日子。
He lost his job and now lives hand to mouth.他失去了工作，现在过着勉强维持生计的生活。
We live from hand to mouth because my father is an accountant with a low salary.
我们过着仅能糊口的生活，因为我父亲只是个薪水很低的会计员。
Some people in areas affected by drought live a hand- to-mouth existence. They collect what little food they can and never have enough to save some for another day.
受干旱影响地区的一些人只能勉强糊口。他们只收集他们所能收集到的一点点食物，而且永远也不会有足够的食物为另一天存储。
I don't want to live hand to mouth all my life.我不想一辈子过着捉襟见肘的生活。
Many people in the country live hand to mouth.这个国家有很多人过着捉襟见肘的生活。
I live from hand to mouth.
我穷到勉强能糊口。
The worst-paid live a hand-to-mouth existence without medical or other benefits.
收入最低者过着只能勉强糊口的日子，没有医疗补助或其他福利。
We always lived from hand to mouth in those days.
那时候,我们总是过着朝不保夕的生活.
I had to live hand to mouth during most of college, since I could only get part-time jobs that paid minimum wage.”
在大学的大部分时间里，我只能勉强糊口，因为我只能做最低工资的兼职工作。
They can only live from hand to mouth.他们的收入微薄只能糊口。
还有一个类似 live (from) hand to mouth 的短语 keep body and soul together，它也可以用来表示勉强维持生计，例如：
They barely have enough money to keep body and soul together.
他们仅有活命的钱。
I had to ask my parents to loan me money because, thanks to those hospital bills, I don't even have enough to keep body and soul together.
我不得不请父母借钱给我，因为，多亏了那些住院费，我连维持生计的钱都不够。
He at first kept body and soul together by selling cartoons to the humorous papers.
他最初通过向幽默搞笑类报纸出售卡通漫画维持生计。
He is so poor that he cannot keep body and soul together.
他穷得连温饱都不能保证。
scrape out a living 或 scratch out a living 也可以表示“艰难度日或勉强糊口”，如：
He scratched a living as a farmer.
他以务农勉强为生。
He almost manages to scrape a living as an artist.
他靠当艺术家来勉强混口饭吃。
keep the wolf from the door，它也可以用来比喻勉强维持生计，例如：
We were extremely poor then, and begging for scraps was all I could do to keep the wolf from the door.
那时我们非常穷，为了勉强维持生活，我只能乞讨些残羹剩饭。
She can barely keep the wolf from the door with the help of such a small shop in town.
在镇上这样一家小店的帮助下，她几乎只能勉强维持生计。
My grandfather told me that he had worked hard even when he was not physically fit to keep the wolf from the door.
我祖父告诉我，即使在他身体不适的时候，他也努力工作来勉强维持生计。
This loan will keep the wolf from the door, at least, but I'm worried it won't last long.
这笔贷款至少可以勉强维持生计，但我担心不会持续太久。
