when a person earns why does he say that it is his "bread and butter". why no other eatbles are mentioned?

Answer 1

In the early 1900's, the most basic food necessities were bread and butter, which were very cheap to buy and very accessible. The cost of bread was .10 cents for 3 loaves and butter was .25 cents a pound.

The average person only made between 3 to 6 dollars a week ($200-$400 a year). So, because they were the most affordable items to buy for food, their earnings were known as their bread and butter.

Answer 2

I assume it has something to do with the lingo from "way back when" ha another saying. Anyways, it was probably the amount of money they earned, only being enough to buy bread and butter. Or that's how they got the bread and butter. Something around that I suspect.

Answer 3

Interesting question. Bread has long been the staple food in many countries, hence 'give us our daily bread' in the Lord's prayer. Butter to my mind is a little luxury to help the dry bread go down, so earning one's bread and butter means the basic necessities of life (bread) plus a little extra.
The expression exists in English since 1732
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=butter
and is heard in the nursery rhyme Little Tommy Tucker, see full lyrics here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Tommy_Tucker

Answer 4

What about " bring home the bacon " Meaning a little bit of luxury.

Answer 5

bread and butter
n.
Means of support; livelihood.
The essential sustaining element or elements; the mainstay: “As ever, politics, vulgarity and sentimentality were the bread and butter of the Academy Awards” (David Ansen).


Thesaurus
Home > Library > Words > Thesaurus bread and butter

noun

The means needed to support life: alimentation, alimony, bread, keep, livelihood, living, maintenance, subsistence, support, sustenance, upkeep. See money.

Idioms
Home > Library > Words > Idioms bread and butter

1. The essential, sustaining element, as in The quality of the schools is the bread and butter of town property values. This idiom alludes to a basic food, bread spread with butter. [c. 1700]
2. Means of livelihood, as in John's job is the family's bread and butter. [First half of 1700s]
3. Ordinary, routine, as in Don't worry about it; this is just a bread and butter assignment. [Second half of 1800s]


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WordNet
Home > Library > Words > WordNet Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun bread and butter has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the financial means whereby one lives
Synonyms: support, keep, livelihood, living, sustenance


Food
apple of one`s eye

- someone or something that one likes a lot

The little girl is the apple of her grandfather`s eye.
back to the salt mines

- back to work, humorous expression to express going back to unpleasant work

"Well, lunch is over so let`s go back to the salt mines for the afternoon."
bad egg

- a bad person, bum

That man is a bad egg so you should try and avoid him if you can.
big cheese

- an important person, a leader

He is a big cheese in his company so you should be very nice to him.
bread and butter

- basic needs of life (food,shelter,clothing)

The voters are worried about bread and butter issues like jobs and taxes.
bring home the bacon

- earn your family`s living

Recently he has been working very hard trying to bring home the bacon. He has no time to do anything else.
butter up

- flatter someone to try to get their favor or friendship

He spends most of his free time trying to butter up his boss so that he won`t have to work so hard.
carrot and stick

- promising to reward and punish someone at the same time

The government took a carrot and stick approach to the people who were illegally protesting against the construction of the dam.
chew the fat

- chat

We stayed up very late last night chewing the fat about our university days.
coffee break

- a break from work to rest and drink coffee

We usually take a 15-minute coffee break every morning about 10 o`clock.
cool as a cucumber

- calm, not nervous or anxious

He is always as cool as a cucumber and never worries about anything.
cream of the crop

- best of a group, the top choice

The company is well-known as a good place to work and is always able to hire the cream of the crop of university graduates.
cry over spilt milk

- cry or complain about something that has already happened

You shouldn't cry over spilt milk. The past is past and you can`t do anything to change it.
cup of tea

- something one enjoys or does well (usually used in the negative)

Going to art galleries is not my cup of tea so I think that I will stay home this evening and not go with you.
cut the mustard

- succeed, do adequately what needs to be done

He wasn`t able to cut the mustard so he had to leave the army after only one year.
duck soup

- a task that doesn`t require much effort

It was duck soup. I was able to finish everything early last night.
eat crow

- admit one is mistaken or defeated, take back a mistaken statement

I was forced to eat crow and had to apologize for the mistake that I made about the restructuring of our company.
eat dirt

- act humble, accept another`s insult or bad treatment

We made him eat dirt after he accused us of lying about the salary cut.
eat humble pie

- be humbled, admit one`s error and apologize

Our boss was forced to eat humble pie after everyone realized that he had made the wrong budget estimate for next year.
eat one`s cake and have it too

- use or spend something and still keep it

He refuses to give up anything and always wants to eat his cake and have it too.
eat one`s words

- take back something one has said, admit something is not true

I told my boss that I would be quitting but later I had to eat my words and tell him that I wanted to stay.
egg on

- urge someone on

Many people at the football game were egged on by the drunken fans.
finger in the pie

- participate in something that is happening

He always tries to keep his finger in the pie so that he can control everything.
full of beans

- feel energetic, in high spirits

She is full of beans tonight and doesn`t want to stop talking.
gravy train

- a job or work that pays more than it is worth

For many years his job was a real gravy train but now the company has become very strict and will not pay overtime.
half-baked

- not thought out or studied carefully

He has a half-baked idea about starting a new business but most of us think that it will fail.
hand to someone on a silver platter

- give a person something that has not been earned

His education was handed to him on a silver platter and now he is very spoiled and selfish.
hard nut to crack

- something or someone difficult to understand or do

He is a very serious person and is a very hard nut to crack.
(get or) have egg on one`s face

- be embarassed

He has egg on his face because everyone knows that he was sick at the party.
hit the sauce

- drink alcohol (usually regularly)

I think that she has begun to hit the sauce since her husband lost his job.
hot potato

- a question or argument that is controversial and difficult to settle

The issue of building the nuclear power plant is a real hot potato for the local town council.
in a nutshell

- briefly, in a few words

We went to the meeting and they told us in a nutshell what would be happening to everyone next year.
in the soup

- in serious trouble, in disorder

She is really in the soup now. She told her boss that she was sick but he saw her downtown shopping.
make one`s mouth water

- look or smell very good, want to eat or drink very much

The restaurant is supposed to be wonderful and every time that I see the menu it makes my mouth water.
nutty as a fruitcake

- crazy

He is a very nice man but he acts strange sometimes and I often think that he is as nutty as a fruitcake.
out of the frying pan and into the fire

- go from something bad to something worse

She quit the job because of some small problems but she has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire because now her problems are much worse.
out to lunch

- crazy, mad

She is totally out to lunch and you should never believe what she tells you.
piece of cake

- a task that is easily accomplished

It was a piece of cake. I had everything done before lunch this morning.
polish the apple

- flatter someone

Nobody likes her because she is always trying to polish the apple with her teacher.
souped up

- change something to make it faster or more powerful by changing or adding something

The new car that his neighbor bought is a souped up model of the one that he had last year.
salt away

- save money

He has been working there for seven years and has been able to salt away quite a lot of money.
sell like hotcakes

- sell quickly or rapidly

The new CD has only been released for about a week but already it is selling like hotcakes.
spill the beans

- tell a secret to someone who is not supposed to know about it

Please don`t spill the beans about my plans to quit working and go back to school next year.
stew in one`s own juice

- suffer from something that one has caused to happen

He is the one who caused the problem for himself and he is now being forced to stew in his own juice.
take with a grain of salt

- accept or believe only part of something

You should take everything that he says with a grain of salt as everyone knows that he likes to exaggerate things when he is speaking.
upset the applecart

- ruin a plan or event by surprise or accident

Everything was going well at the company gathering until he came along and upset the apple cart.
worth one`s salt

- being a good worker, worth what one is paid

He has only been working here for a month but over and over he has proved that he is worth his salt.