# put butter on one's bread

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/put-butter-on-ones-bread
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To earn money.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.