English expressions with “bread”

Wheat — the staff of life — and the baked products derived from it invite many idiomatic associations.
Here are some references to bread in phrases and expressions.

1. “Bread and butter” refers to the basics in life.
Your bread and butter is your livelihood.
For real estate agents, their commission is their bread and butter.

2. “Bread and water” refers to the bare minimum of food and drink, based on the traditional punitive prison diet.

3. Cast (one’s) bread upon the waters
Do good deeds without being motivated by a potential reward.
Maia left her high-powered accounting job to cast her bread upon the waters and care for her mother.

4. Earn (one’s) daily bread
To do work of any kind for a living; to earn money by some means.
I hear Janet is earning her daily bread with an investment firm in Tokyo now.

5. Half a loaf is better than no bread
Getting less than what one wants is better than getting nothing at all.
I know they’re offering you less money than you’d hoped for, but at least it’s a good job — half a loaf is better than no bread.

6. Man does not live by bread alone.
Used to mean that people need more than just food and water to survive; people need mental or spiritual things like satisfaction and love.

7. The best thing since sliced bread
A humorous and hyperbolic statement indicates one’s belief that something is excellent, especially something new and innovative.
These waterproof jeans are the best thing since sliced bread. I don’t have to worry about getting soaked!

8. Break bread with someone
Fig. to eat a meal with someone.
Please come by and break bread with us sometime.
I would like to break bread with you.

9. Know which side one’s bread is buttered on
When you know which side your bread is buttered on, you are loyal to the people who benefit you the most.
Sally wouldn’t do anything that would upset her mother-in-law. Her husband is jobless and they survive on his mother’s pension. She certainly knows which side her bread is buttered on.

10. Eat the bread of idleness
To eat food that one has not personally earned.
I refuse to eat the bread of idleness.

11. Heavy bread and heavy money
a great deal of money.
Man, that car cost some heavy bread. He can afford it.

12. Bread always falls on the buttered side.
Used to mean that when things go wrong, they have a tendency to go completely wrong.
The painting not only fell off the wall but also broke the flower vase by landing on it. Bread always falls on the buttered side.