“Bread and Butter” means the work or activity that provides a person’s or organization’s main income; adjectivally, something basic or everyday. Use the noun phrase for a livelihood or main income source; the hyphenated adjective can describe basic, everyday concerns.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
The work or activity that provides a person’s or organization’s main income; adjectivally, something basic or everyday.
Key details
Canonical FormBread and Butter
Core Meaningthe work or activity that provides a person’s or organization’s main income; adjectivally, something basic or everyday
Further guidance
Example Contexts
“Maintenance contracts are the company’s bread and butter.” They provide its main dependable business.
“The course begins with bread-and-butter budgeting skills.” The hyphenated adjective means basic or everyday.
History Boundary
This guide explains documented current meaning and does not claim a single inventor, exact coinage date, or absolute first use without direct evidence.
How To Use
Use the noun phrase for the dependable work, product, or activity that supplies someone’s or an organization’s main income. Use the hyphenated adjective when describing ordinary, basic, core concerns.
Meaning
the work or activity that provides a person’s or organization’s main income; adjectivally, something basic or everyday
Meaning Boundary
The livelihood sense does not mean the activity is literally food-related, and the adjectival sense does not necessarily refer to income. The grammatical role helps identify the intended meaning.
Usage Boundary
Use the noun phrase for a livelihood or main income source; the hyphenated adjective can describe basic, everyday concerns.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
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