put butter on one's bread

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

put butter on one's bread (third-person singular simple present puts butter on one's bread, present participle putting butter on one's bread, simple past and past participle put butter on one's bread)

1. (idiomatic, informal) To earn money.
   • 1933, Ishbel Ross, Marriage in Gotham, page 71:

     "Well, it won't put butter on our bread," said another.

   • 1934, America - Volume 50, page 282:

     An author has the obligation of keeping himself alive, and it does not put any butter on his bread to get his books from the public library.

   • 1947, Soviet Literature, page 8:

     D'ye think those savages who've been putting butter on our bread are coming to trade with you or me if we are not ready to sell at a loss?

   • 1998, Dana Stabenow, Killing Grounds, →ISBN, page 80:

     This situation isn't putting any butter on our bread, either.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see put,‎ butter,‎ bread.