Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bread-and-butter

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.15 in modern English

Syllables: bread--and-but-ter
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

5

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative form of bread and butter.

adj

Relating to basic sustenance or the requirements for everyday living.

adj

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bread, and, butter.

intj

A general saying used to ward off bad luck

Archaic

intj

A saying specifically used to ward off bad luck when separating hands to walk either side of a tree

Archaic

Example Sentences

""Nora!" exclaimed Miss Tilehurst almost severely—the family woman's inherent reverence for the source of bread-and-butter—"the office is his business. My nephew, Mr. Carrados," she explained, "is connected with the paper mills here […]""
"These road warrior plays were fronted by former semistars like Forrest Tucker or Hugh O'Brian, who had had their bread-and-butter TV shows cancelled. The job could pay $3,000 to $5,000 a week […]"
"bread-and-butter pudding"

Etymology

Reflecting that bread and butter are archetypally basic foodstuffs (daily necessities) in the places where the English language developed; compare daily bread, put bread on the table, earn one's bread, bread and water (as prisoners' diet or poverty diet), and know which side one's bread is buttered on.

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

more bread-and-butter (comparative) most bread-and-butter (superlative)

Phrases

bread-and-butter issue bread-and-butter letter bread-and-butter note bread-and-butter pickle bread-and-butter plate bread-and-butter pudding

Frequently Paired Words

bread-and-butter issue bread-and-butter letter bread-and-butter note bread-and-butter pickle bread-and-butter plate bread-and-butter pudding

Questions

What does bread-and-butter mean?: Alternative form of bread and butter.
Where does bread-and-butter come from?: Reflecting that bread and butter are archetypally basic foodstuffs (daily necessities) in the places where the English language developed; compare daily bread, put bread on the table, earn one's bread, bread and water (as prisoners' diet or poverty diet), and know which side one's bread is buttered on.

How to pronounce bread-and-butter

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