Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“Good actors are all messed up. It’s a profession of bottom feeders and broken people.”
- Actor Shia LaBeouf, speaking about his rough childhood. (Us Weekly)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
a low person; someone who takes advantage of others
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
The ocean is filled with all kinds of weird, creepy, fascinating, and beautiful creatures, from majestic killer whales to gross-looking bottom feeders. When we use the term bottom feeder to talk about fish and other animals that live in the sea, we’re referring to those that live at the very bottom of the ocean. They’re literally the lowest creatures in the sea. They also sometimes eat detritus, or the remains of dead animals and other nasty stuff that collects at the bottom of the ocean.
When we refer to a person as a bottom feeder, we’re comparing him to the bottom feeders that dwell in the sea. Calling someone a bottom feeder is definitely not a compliment. It means that we think he’s a low, worthless person who takes advantage of others’ misfortunes. For instance, some people think that lawyers who make money by defending criminals and filing lawsuits have a bottom-feeding profession.
According to Shia LaBeouf, acting is another profession of bottom feeders. LaBeouf grew up poor and became an actor when he was still a child in order to help keep his family out of poverty. He thinks that all good actors are troubled or have struggled in their pasts. For LaBeouf, actors may be bottom feeders, but they’re also artists who learn from their struggles. So for him, being the lowest of the low might have its high points.
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“To me, accident lawyers are bottom feeders who take advantage of other people’s misfortunes.”
“The paparazzi are bottom feeders. They make money by invading celebrities’ privacy and exposing their worst secrets.”
“Thomas was a good kid in school but now he spends all his time hanging out with criminals and bottom-feeders.”
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