know which side one's bread is buttered on
idiom
informal
: to know how to act or how to treat others in order to get what one wants
He pretends to be impartial, but believe me, he knows which side his bread is buttered on.
Cite this Entry
“Know which side one's bread is buttered on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/know%20which%20side%20one%27s%20bread%20is%20buttered%20on. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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