literally give them the clothes off your back
For Destiny’s Child, The Reason For Live 8 Is Crystal Clear
“Any person, any human being, that can see the poverty, and see how many people are infected there, you have no choice. You want to do something,” Knowles said. “You want to give them the clothes off your back, literally. I mean, we were pulling everything we had out of our purses and were giving them to everybody, because the people out there are much less fortunate than you are. You don’t think about that, because we’re a little …”“Spoiled,” Rowland and Michelle Williams chimed in.
The phrase “give them the clothes off your back” means to give them everything you have.
Figurative = millions of dollars from Beyoncé
Literal = 100% cotton T-shirt from Hanes
I’m sure if given a choice, the poor in Africa would prefer something closer to the figurative meaning. I mean, look at what Beyoncé typically wears: it’s not very practical in an African village (though that jeweled number might be useful as netting to pen in some goats).
