bread and butter
[noun]
Synonyms: living, alimentation, alimony, bread, keep, livelihood, maintenance, subsistence, support, sustenance

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ˌbread-and-ˈbutter adjective [only before noun]

1. British English bread-and-butter questions are very important basic ones:
bread-and-butter political issues such as jobs and housing

2. bread-and-butter work is work that is not very exciting but provides you with most of the money that you need in order to live

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

bread and butter
(someone's) bread and butter
[informal]
a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live.
Teaching at the local college is his bread and butter.

(your) bread and butter
something that provides you with regular income.
Our customers are our bread and butter, so treat them with respect.

a bread and butter subject or problem is about things that people need in order to live, such as money and jobs.
Unemployment and taxes are the bread and butter issues of this campaign.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

bread and butter
one's income/job to buy the basic needs of life like food/shelter/clothing
The man's business is his bread and butter and he works very hard to make it successful.

The voters are worried about bread-and-butter issues like jobs and taxes.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

bread and butter
bread and butter¹ 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.
bread and butter² 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 the usual bread-and-butter letter. See: BREAD AND BUTTER LETTER.
bread and butter³ 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 opposite sides of a tree.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲