put butter on one's bread
To earn money.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He works hard to put butter on his bread.”
“After the company closed, she struggled to find a new job to put butter on her bread.”
“Despite his artistic ambitions, he accepted the tedious office role simply to put butter on his bread and support his growing family.”
- 01
a little bit of bread and no cheese
Used to represent the song of the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).
- 02
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 03
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 04
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 05
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 06
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 07
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 08
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
Last updated August 10, 2026