English idiom

bring home the bacon

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

To earn the money that supports a household.

Why this phrase?

Possibly from country fairs where greased-pig winners kept the bacon.

Example

“She brings home the bacon while he raises the children.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

a rip-off

Something that is far too expensive for what it is.

bang for your buck

the value or impact you get for the money or effort spent

call it a day

To decide to stop working on something for now.

cost an arm and a leg

To be extremely expensive.

do the job

to be good enough to achieve the desired result

have your hands full

To be very busy or fully occupied with responsibilities.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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