Summary
This phrase is a vulgar suggestion that someone is inferior and destitute without reference to who is responsible for their situation.
This phrase, often considered vulgar, is a stark suggestion that someone is in a state of destitution and inferiority. It is a reflection of the historical context of poverty, where individuals lacked even the most necessities, such as a pot for their bodily functions, and were forced to resort to crude alternatives.
History:
The phrase's real origin can be traced back to Djuna Barnes' 1936 novel, Nightwood. This novel provides a fascinating portrayal of the conditions of the commons, and the phrase in question is a poignant reflection of the destitution and inferiority experienced by the characters. It was also popularized in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, further cementing its place in literary history.
Delving into history, we find that as early as 6 BC, the royal class in Greece had pots delivered to them by their servants for their bathroom activities. The rest of the commoners, however, had to make do with the outdoors, using the closest bush as their toilet. Leaves and rocks served as their toilet paper. The modern flushing toilet was not invented until 1596 by the British inventor John Harrington, and the water closet was a later invention by Joseph Bramah in 1778.
I remember the days when a Sears catalogue or a corn cob were the choices when I lived on a dirt road in Arkansas. That was my families condition, "not a pot to piss in." as it was in the Grapes of Wrath.
https://medium.com/the-cellar-door/dont-have-a-pot-to-piss-in-an-origin-story-26aa943422b3
https://atkinsbookshelf.wordpress.com/tag/origin-of-dont-have-a-pot-to-piss-in/