poor-mouth

This boy was a prisoner, too, and yet he turns up all right and puts up a poor mouth about what he failed to do.

Not once did they put up a poor mouth and beg the Government to come to their help.

Poor mouth; making the poor mouth is trying to persuade people you are very poor—making out or pretending that you are poor.

See, children, just as soon as I say a word, mad like a wet hen he gets and right away puts on a poor mouth.

And yet I am told that the old woman was not accustomed to "make a poor mouth," as the saying goes.