What does “from hunger” mean?

Question

What is the meaning of the phrase "from hunger", as in, "This xyz is from hunger"? From the context I found it in, it appears to mean either very good, or very bad, but it's hard to tell which.

The context in which I read this expression…

"I'm going into the city. On the way back I'll get you the biggest jar of Samoy I can find."
Mal rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Samoy pickles are from hunger."

—Michael Marshall Smith, Spares.

The phrase occurred later in a discussion of firearms but I can't find it just this minute (dead tree books — difficult to do a full text search).

Answer 1

TheFreeDictionary says:

(strictly) from hunger
Sl. very mediocre; acceptable only when nothing else is available. This kind of entertainment is from hunger. The singer was strictly from hunger.

See also this discussion over at ThePhraseFinder.

Answer 2

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hunger

—Idiom 8. from hunger, Slang . deplorably bad; dreadful: The styles in coats this winter are from hunger. Also, strictly from hunger.

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Possibly from the Yiddish writer S. J. Perelman who wrote a book named "Strictly from Hunger"

I will personally hazard a guess it might be a mix up

http://www.bubbygram.com/yiddishglossary.htm

Challish: (khall-ish) faint, usually from hunger. "I haven't eaten in hours! If that waiter doesn't bring our dinner soon, I'm going to challish!"

Chalushes (khal-ush-ess) Nausea or a feeling of sickness. Also, nauseating. "Did you see that dress she was wearing?! It was positively chalushes!"

Answer 3

By saying a food item is "from hunger" they are insulting the food because it is so bad that the speaker is concluding that it must have been derived from the lack of pickiness that only fends off starvation and not the enjoyment of eating. Metaphorically, the concept can be used for other things. Personally, I have never heard this phrase used before, and it has a condescending tone that makes me not want to use it.

Answer 4

If something is "from hunger" it means it's lousy. If somebody exclaims a song, for example, is "from hunger," they are telling you it stinks. It has nothing to do with food or hunger. Regarding etymology, I know it's older than beatnick slang because my father (New York City area, German-American, 1922-1976) used this phrase. It's origin might be in 1930s jive talk because my father was an avid follower of swing music in his youth.

Answer 5

Robert Mehling has it right. It’s old jive talk and means “not good, not cool, not desired”. It has nothing to do with hunger for food or affection, etc.

As to origins, I don’t know that. I was born in 1941 (yes, children, I’m 71!) and the expression had been around for years before I was born. I used to think that Hungary was involved, as though if something from Hungary was automatically bad. But I don’t think that’s right. My mom used to say it and got all melodramatic when she said it, mocking it. As if, as an expression, she thought it was already getting obsolete.

You had to be there.

Answer 6

It would appear to be a synonymn in that case for "by" or "due to" or "because of"

The patient died from hunger

The patient died due to hunger