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Bread-and-butter

Used as an adjective, bread-and-butter is hyphenated. This expression has various meanings:

  • providing for the basic necessities of life

    I hope to succeed as a writer; selling shoes is just my bread-and-butter job.

  • basic; vital or essential

    In the Speech from the Throne, the Governor General of Canada spoke of bread-and-butter issues such as jobs and housing.

  • solid, dependable

    As the highest scorer, Sarah has been the bread-and-butter player for her team this year.

    Sales from the company's bread-and-butter products helped it get through the recession.

  • thank-you (in reference to a note or letter)

    Mark wrote his cousins a bread-and-butter letter to thank them for their hospitality.