If thou hast not a capon, feed on an onion. 
Proverbs on a similar topic
- Necessity is the mother of invention.
- To make a virtue of necessity.
- Nothing for nothing.
- In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
- Half a loaf is better than no bread.
- Poverty is the mother of crime.
- Losers are always in the wrong.
- Poverty is no sin.
- Poverty is the mother of all arts.
- An empty sack cannot stand upright.
- Where nothing is the king must lose his right.
- An empty purse fills the face with wrinkles.
- A man cannot give What he hasn't got.
- Need makes the old wife trot.
- The beggar may sing before the thief.
- Nail drives out nail.
- If it should rain pottage, he would want his dish.
- Who has no horse may ride on a staff.
Related proverbs
Similar proverbs in the same language
English
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When all fruit fails, welcome haws.
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Better a louse in the pot than no flesh at all.
Similar proverbs in another language
French
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Faute de grives, on mange des merles.
For lack of thrushes, we eat blackbirds.
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Au pauvre un oeuf vaut un boeuf.
To the poor, an egg is worth an ox.
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A faute de chapon, pain et oignon.
For lack of capon, bread and onion.
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A défaut de pain on mange des croûtes.
For lack of bread, we eat crusts.
German
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In der Not frisst der Teufel Fliegen.
Beggars can't be choosers.
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Man muß sich mit Brot behelfen, bis man Fleisch bekommt.
You have to make do with bread until you get meat.
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Besser eine Laus im Kraut als gar kein Fleisch.
Better a louse in the cabbage than no meat at all.
Czech
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V nouzi Franta dobrý.
Franta's good in a pinch.
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Lepší špatně jet než jít dobře pěšky.
Better to drive badly than walk well.
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V nouzi čert dobrý.
In a pinch, the devil's good.