beg, borrow, or steal

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1
  1. You couldn’t beg, borrow, or steal tickets to the Olympics. (So you buy it.)
  2. I can’t even beg, borrow, or steal the money I need to pay my rent this month.
    What is the meaning of the phrase ‘beg, borrow, or steal’.?
    Thanks.
2

Well, it doesn’t mean you but it! It means you can’t buy it. It is unobtainable.

The picture it conveys is that obtaining it by the usual means doesn’t work… so if you cannot get it by buying it, you might then, in desperation turn to begging for it, trying to borrow it, or ultimately stealing it, but you still cannot get it. This is all figurative, of course, and doesn’t actually apply literally… but that’s the idea - it is unobtainable by any means.