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stony

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flat broke

 and flat busted

Fig. having no money at all. Sorry, I'm flat broke. Not a cent on me. You may be flat broke, but you will find a way to pay your electricity bill or you will live in the dark. Mary was flat busted, and it was two more weeks before she was due to get paid.

See also: broke, flat

fall on stony ground

if a request, a warning, or advice falls on stony ground, people ignore it

Usage notes: This phrase comes from the Bible.

Repeated requests to stop the fighting have fallen on stony ground. Warnings about the disastrous effect on the environment fell on stony ground.

See also: fall, ground, on, stony

flat broke

Also, stone or stony broke . Completely penniless. For example, I can't help you-I'm flat broke, or He's stone broke again. The first term dates from the mid-1800s and uses flat in the sense of "completely" or "downright." The variant dates from the late 1800s.

See also: broke, flat

flat broke

mod. having no money at all. Sorry, I’m flat broke. Not a cent on me.

See also: broke, flat