# bread and butter

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bread-and-butter
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

That which is central or fundamental, as to one's business, survival, or income; a staple or cornerstone.

## Examples

- Selling coffee is the bread and butter of this small shop.
- While the company experiments with new technology, their bread and butter remains the basic software they have sold for years.
- Although the author enjoyed writing experimental poetry, his bread and butter was the series of detective novels that paid his monthly rent.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.