phr. beg one's bread 乞食，讨饭
bread and butter 1. 涂黄油的面包
This bread and butter is too thick. 这片涂黄油的面包太厚了。
2. 食物，生活必需品
3. 生计，谋生之道；主要的收入来源
Don't quarrel with your bread and butter. 你可不要砸自己的饭碗。
“Swan Lake” is the bread and butter to the ballet companies. “天鹅湖”是各芭蕾舞剧团赖以为生的看家剧目。
4. 〈俚〉事情，干系
It's no bread and butter of mine. 这事与我无关。
5. [用作感叹语]〈口〉老天保佑
bread and cheese 面包和干酪；家常食品
bread and circuses 1. (政府或其他统治集团为安抚目的款待公众的)面包和马戏观赏，食物和娱乐
On the direct orders of the new leaders, it was bread and circuses time this week. 由新领导人直接下令，这个星期是老百姓享受吃喝玩乐的日子。
2. 福利
bread and honey 〈俚〉钱
bread and milk 泡在煮沸牛奶中的碎面包
bread and scrape 1. 只涂薄薄一层黄油的面包
2. 待遇菲薄的职业
To her the Hilton job is bread and scrape. 对她说来，希尔顿旅馆的那份工作仅够糊口。
bread and water (diet) 面包和白开水；粗茶淡饭
bread and wine 【宗】圣餐
bread buttered (on) both sides 好运；安适的境遇
break bread 1. 〈旧〉共餐
I little thought that I should be breaking bread and pouring wine with you. 我想不到竟会跟你一起进餐饮酒。
2. 【宗】分圣餐；领圣餐
cast (或 throw) one's bread on (或 upon) the waters 不期望报答地做好事，真心行善不望报
I gave each of them a five-dollar tip. That's called bread cast on the waters. 我给他们每人5块钱的小费，这叫“真心行善不望报”。
earn one's bread 赚钱糊口
He earned his bread as a labourer. 他做工糊口。
eat the bread of 遭受…，受到…
eat the bread of affliction 遭受痛苦的折磨
in bad bread 处境不妙
know which side one's bread is buttered (on) (或 where one's bread is buttered) 〈口〉明白自己的利益所在，知道该怎么保全自己的利益，善为个人利益谋算
He was a hard-boiled businessman. He knew which side his bread was buttered on. 他是一个不动感情专讲实际的商人，深知自己的利益所在。
one cannot live by bread alone 人不能只靠面包生活(意为人有物质和精神双方面的需要)
out of bread 失业
set bread 和面使发酵
take bread and salt 发誓
take the bread out of sb.'s mouth 1. 抢某人的饭碗，夺某人的生计
2. 阻止某人享用快到嘴的东西
3. 抢在某人前行动
the best (或greatest) thing since sliced bread 〈口〉最好的东西
the bread of life 精神食粮
want one's bread buttered on both sides 〈口〉不切实际地要得太多；要得太过分