What is a pound of butter amongst a kennel of hounds?

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

A modest supply may be too small to satisfy many demands. The butter-and-hounds image asks whether the amount available fits the number and scale of needs placed upon it.

What the words are saying

The pound of butter looks like a definite quantity until it is compared with a kennel full of hungry animals. The rhetorical question suggests that the supply will make little difference when divided among so many demands. Applied figuratively, an apparently useful contribution may be inadequate for the task it is expected to cover. That does not make the contribution worthless or the recipients unreasonable. The useful question concerns proportion: how much is available, how many needs are being served and what can realistically be achieved? Clear expectations can acknowledge a small contribution without pretending that it resolves a much larger shortage.

Everyday example

A workshop has one small tube of paint for a large group mural, so the organisers adjust the design and identify what additional materials are needed.

When to use it

Use it when the size of a resource is being judged without considering the demands on it.

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Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.