wear threadbare

These children usually wear threadbare hand-me-downs already passed through several rounds of siblings.

It is a task to wear threadbare the teacher's patience and to do all kinds of things to the temper.

It could wear threadbare cotton garments more threadbare; it could do with a daily bowlful less of rice.

Frank Dalton's education went very little further than this; but, bad as it was, its effect was blunted by the natural frankness and generosity of his character, its worst fruits being an over-estimate of himself and his pretensions, errors which the world has always the watchful kindness to correct in those who wear threadbare coats and patched boots.

Wear threadbare clothes and patched shoes if necessary, but do not pinch or economize on books.