bread and butter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2-C1Informal, idiomatic. Common in business and everyday contexts.
Quick answer
What does “bread and butter” mean?
One's main source of income or livelihood.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
One's main source of income or livelihood; the staple or basic means of support.
Used to describe something that is routine, dependable, and fundamental to operations or survival, often the most common or profitable part of a business. Can also refer to a traditional or classic combination.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the idiom identically in meaning and form. The hyphenated modifier form 'bread-and-butter' is equally common.
Connotations
Both share connotations of reliability, essentialness, and sometimes a lack of glamour.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English in general corpora, but the difference is marginal.
Grammar
How to Use “bread and butter” in a Sentence
be + someone's + bread and butterthe bread and butter of + NPbread-and-butter + NP (modifier)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bread and butter” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The council focused on bread-and-butter issues like bin collections and potholes.
- For a local paper, court reports are bread-and-butter content.
American English
- The senator returned to bread-and-butter topics like jobs and taxes.
- The firm handles many bread-and-butter legal cases like wills and divorces.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a company's core, most profitable product or service line (e.g., 'Software subscriptions are our bread and butter.').
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing, but may appear in economic or sociological texts discussing livelihoods.
Everyday
Used to describe one's primary job or the most common, dependable activity (e.g., 'Teaching piano lessons is my bread and butter.').
Technical
Not typically used in technical fields unless in a metaphorical sense regarding core functions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bread and butter”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bread and butter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bread and butter”
- Using it as a plural countable noun (e.g., 'These are our breads and butters').
- Confusing it with the literal food terms in context.
- Forgetting the hyphens in the modifier form (e.g., 'bread and butter issue' should be 'bread-and-butter issue').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when hyphenated as 'bread-and-butter'. It describes something that is basic, routine, or fundamental (e.g., 'bread-and-butter issues').
It is informal to neutral. It is common in business and journalism but would be replaced by more formal terms like 'primary revenue stream' in very formal reports.
The most common error is interpreting it literally in a context where the idiomatic meaning (source of income) is intended, leading to confusion.
No, there is no standard verb form derived from this idiom.
One's main source of income or livelihood.
Bread and butter: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbred ən ˈbʌtə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbred ən ˈbʌt̬ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Know which side your bread is buttered (on).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a basic sandwich: just bread and butter. It's not fancy, but it's the simple, essential food that keeps you going. Similarly, your 'bread and butter' is the simple, essential work that pays your bills.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIVELIHOOD IS SUSTENANCE / MONEY IS FOOD.
Practice
Quiz
In a business context, what does 'bread and butter' typically refer to?