Englishbring home the bacon
Meaning: to provide income; to succeed in earning money.
Example: “With two part-time jobs, she's the one bringing home the bacon these days.”
Origin: The phrase's first clear attestation is precise, American, and much more recent than the traditions usually cited for it: in 1906, before a celebrated lightweight title fight, the mother of the boxer Joe Gans sent him a message telling him to bring home the bacon, and his subsequent victory put the words into newspapers across the country. Two older stories are commonly attached. One is the Dunmow Flitch, an English tradition recorded from the medieval period at Great Dunmow in Essex, awarding a side of bacon to any married couple who could swear they had not regretted their marriage for a year and a day. The other is the greased-pig contest at country fairs, where the prize was the pig. Both are real, neither is documented as the source, and the 1906 telegram remains the point at which the phrase demonstrably enters English.
More English idioms
- like a fish out of water uncomfortable or awkward in a situation; out of one's element.
- come hell or high water no matter what obstacles arise; with absolute determination.
- run rings around someone to easily surpass someone; to be far superior in ability.
- bury the hatchet to make peace; to settle a dispute.
- get the ball rolling to start something; to initiate a process.
- as tough as old boots very strong; enduring; difficult to break.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
Keep exploring