bread and butter

bread and butter (1) {n. phr.}

The usual needs of life; food, shelter, and clothing.

Ed earned his bread and butter as a bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on weekends.

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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms

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bread and butter

[bread and butter] (2) {adj.} Thanking someone for entertainment or a nice visit; thank-you. * /After spending the weekend as a guest in the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Joneses […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

bread and butter

[bread and butter] (3) {interj.}, {informal} Spoken to prevent bad luck that you think might result from some action. * /We'd say "Bread and butter!" when we had passed on […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

bread-and-butter letter

[bread-and-butter letter] {n.} A written acknowledgment of hospitality received. * /Jane wrote the Browns a bread-and-butter letter when she returned home from her visit to them./ A Dictionary of American Idioms

butter

[butter] See: [BREAD AND BUTTER]. A Dictionary of American Idioms

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