bread-and-butter

1 of 2

adjective

bread-and-but·​ter ˈbred-ən(d)-ˈbə-tər 

1

a

: being as basic as the earning of one's livelihood

bread-and-butter issues

b(1)

: reliable

our bread-and-butter repertoire

(2)

: dependable as a source of income

a company's bread-and-butter products

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter letter

bread and butter

2 of 2

noun

: a means of sustenance or livelihood

Examples of bread-and-butter in a Sentence

Noun

Casual clothing has always been the company's bread and butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Advertisement Still, culture war issues are likely to take a backseat to the bread-and-butter economic matters driving daily discourse in the bulk of the district, including inflation, the cost of housing and the extreme commutes that many bedroom community residents face. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

And his best routes, flare screens and intermediate digs, are the bread-and-butter concepts of a Shanahan offense. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024

Salman Khurshid, a Congress veteran, worried that the party has strayed from bread-and-butter political strategy. —Samanth Subramanian Vikas Adam Tanya Pérez Zachary Mouton, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

Last season, Snell relied less on the fastball-slider combination that had been his bread-and-butter, incorporating his changeup and curveball more, which had the effect of mimicking his pitch mix from his 2018 Cy Young season. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024

And because the return-to-office debate is still going strong, the office buildings and such that lots of local banks fund as their bread-and-butter are worth less. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024

The issue occupies a key nexus where the bread-and-butter concerns of workers meet the larger goals of social justice. —Jim Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024

Much of the address focused on bread-and-butter domestic issues like highways, health care, energy infrastructure and education. —Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

NetApp’s bread-and-butter Hybrid Cloud business has been witnessing some headwinds of late due to weaker information technology spending and cost optimization by large businesses. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

Noun

And live albums are like the bread and butter of the Gospel/worship genre. —Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024

The bread and butter of thieves are the most prosaic cars, like Mr. Wilson’s Honda CR-V, or Ford F-150 trucks. —Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024

Once Rodin was an established artist, prominent commissions, which produced a multitude of studies, were his bread and butter. —Grace Cote, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

All entrees include soup or salad, Italian bread and butter, and dessert. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024

Ty is elite, but his bread and butter have always been hooks and features. —Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024

In-person gambling remains the bread and butter of the industry. —Wayne Parry, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

Alo Airbrush Winter Warm High-Waist Nocturne Leggings, $86 (originally $108) Nordstrom Loungewear Deals Luxurious clothing at affordable prices is Nordstrom’s bread and butter, and the Zella brand has some major discounts leading into the end of the winter season. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2024

Politicians will force you to choose—that’s their bread and butter. —Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bread-and-butter

adjective

ˌbred-ᵊn-ˈbət-ər

1

a

: concerned with or being as basic as earning a living

bread-and-butter economic issues

b

: dependable

bread-and-butter products that always sell

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter note