bread and butter
Definition
Noun: 1. A person's primary source of income or livelihood: The fundamental means by which one earns money to support oneself and pay for basic necessities. 2. A staple or fundamental item: The basic, essential, or most reliable element of something.
Usage Examples
- Noun (as livelihood):
- Writing textbooks is his bread and butter; he writes novels for passion.
- For many local shops, tourism is their bread and butter.
- Noun (as staple item):
- Classic black dresses are the bread and butter of any wardrobe.
- These simple, reliable drills are the bread and butter of our product line.
Advanced Usage
- "bread-and-butter" (adjective): Used attributively to describe something that is basic, fundamental, or related to one's main source of income.
- He handles the firm's bread-and-butter legal work, like contracts and property.
- She sent a bread-and-butter thank-you note to her hosts after the weekend visit. (This is a fixed idiom meaning a polite note of thanks for hospitality.)
Variants and Related Words
- Livelihood (n): A means of securing the necessities of life.
- Staple (n): A main or important element of something.
- Mainstay (n): A chief support or principal element.
Synonyms
- Livelihood
- Main source of income
- Living
- Sustenance
Related Idioms
- To know which side one's bread is buttered on: To be aware of where one's advantages lie or who one depends on for support.
- He's always very polite to the boss; he knows which side his bread is buttered on.
Noun
-
the financial means whereby one lives
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each child was expected to pay for their keep
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he applied to the state for support
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he could no longer earn his own livelihood
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