a hard-luck story

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a hard-luck story

A typically self-pitying tale of misfortune, hardship, adversity, etc., told especially to gain sympathy or charity from others. Here he goes again with some hard-luck story to get us to pay for his drinks. You can cook up whatever hard-luck story you want—there's still no way Ms. Ruiz gives you an extension on this assignment. I don't know, I stopped listening in the middle of the candidate's self-important hard-luck story.

a hard-ˈluck story

a story about yourself that you tell somebody in order to get their sympathy or help: He stopped me in the street and told me a long hard-luck story about his wife leaving him. All he really wanted was some money. ♢ Don’t give me any of your hard-luck stories, John. I don’t believe them.