(ECONOMICS) an official definition of poverty, in which one third of one's income is spent on food. "Food," here, is defined as the most cost-effective way of meeting basic nutritional needs.
The definition has one advantage, which is that researchers can get comparable information about poverty for any country in the world. The disadvantage is that it's arbitrary (why one third? why food? why not shelter, health care, and heating?); the other is that the cost of living varies dramatically in different neighborhoods in different cities of different US states, yet the poverty level is the same (expressed in dollar amounts) everywhere in a given country.
A better measure is the self-sufficiency standard.
The definition has one advantage, which is that researchers can get comparable information about poverty for any country in the world. The disadvantage is that it's arbitrary (why one third? why food? why not shelter, health care, and heating?); the other is that the cost of living varies dramatically in different neighborhoods in different cities of different US states, yet the poverty level is the same (expressed in dollar amounts) everywhere in a given country.
A better measure is the self-sufficiency standard.
Living under the official poverty level can be a lot worse in affluent communities like San Francisco, where the cost of basic necessities is very high. On the other hand, it's also a lot worse in areas such as rural Mississippi, where public amenities (such as libraries equipped with computers for public use) are rare.
by Primus Intra Pares July 12, 2010
A type of movie that claims to be Deep and Real when in reality it just a movie that exploits poverish people for cheap drama.
by Weirdo Sheep January 14, 2018
Term used to describe life in Bend, Oregon or Central Oregon in general. Refers to numerous nearby mountain peaks, rivers, forests, clean air, and microbreweries, with the understanding that everyone will work for close to minimum wage ($7.50/hr) regardless of level of education due to a dysfunctional job market.
Honey, did you see the place for sale down the street? It's a run-down double-wide on a flat one acre lot. Includes monster truck. Wow, that's what I call "poverty with a view".
by MirrorPondGuzzler December 9, 2006
Colloquial name for Tampico brand fruit drink, essentially a knockoff Sunny D with even less health benefits.
by TullyJerkwad2808 February 20, 2018
Any social worker, do-gooder, social service agency, or faith-based organization who comes into a hood not their own and plays at being the savior to folks that don't need savin. Expects said folks, most often minorities, to be grateful and happy and do all that is recommended. Poverty pimps do this in place of supporting real community organizing of the people who live in these communities to solve their own issues. Poverty pimps often directly benefit financially from pretending at saving people and communities, usually based on their job. Most often interested in keeping people from dying, but not succeeding.
The man on the street corner walked up to the white, older social worker who came from a rich neighborhood and was slumming in the hood and called her a poverty pimp.
by Tellin it how it is August 20, 2010
"Poverty Beams" are the glare producing headlights that lower class and/or undereducated persons have created by putting cheap HID retrofit plug and play capsules into older, conventional halogen headlight housings, in a vain, failed attempt make their old, valueless car appear more modern and upscale. The telltale glare of Poverty Beams is like a bat-signal of poorness that alerts anyone within visible range that the owner of said $80 ebay modification doesn't have two nickels to rub together. The bright glare of poverty beams is a failed attempt by the lower class to mimick the bright, white light emitted by projector HID headlights that modern, luxurious cars come from the factory with. The problem that said lower class persons don't understand is that a projector lens is needed in front of the extremely bright light emitted by an HID arc to focus it. Poverty beams result in a tell-tale glare to oncoming drivers because an HID arc scattered by a conventional halogen reflector results in a bright but unfocused beam, and poor quality pattern. Most often seen on $1500 junker police auction crown vics, chevy impalas, old expeditions, and lots of old junk imports like Honda civics. A real projector HID retrofit can be performed to most older cars to update their headlight performance to be on par with modern cars that come standard with projector HID's, but none of the cars you will see Poverty Beams on are ever worth such cost.
Look at the Poverty Beams coming down the road on that vomit comet crown vic. Damn, you know that guy works at Burger King.
by NUTBAGZILLA September 17, 2013
On top of Nigger Run Rd. Poverty knob is known for hosting such events as " Pack it up for Poverty" and the infamous "redneck reffer bash". If you find yourself on this knob, your probably drunk as fuck, so BE CARELESS !!!!
MAN 1:"Hey man, where you at"?
MAN 2:"I am on poverty knob,its on nigger run rd.
MAN 1:"What the fuck"?
MAN 2:"I am on poverty knob,its on nigger run rd.
MAN 1:"What the fuck"?
by riffle bum May 31, 2011