bring home the bacon
Idioms-
Earn a living, provide the necessities of life, as in Now that she had a job, Patricia could bring home the bacon .
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Be successful, accomplish something of value, as in George went to Washington and brought home the bacon—he got the funding we needed . Although the earliest citation for this phrase in the Oxford English Dictionary dates from 1924, the term is widely believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased pig, a popular competition at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pork producers say that if the rules remain on the state’s books, Californians might soon be unable to afford to bring home the bacon — or ham or sausage.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 12, 2022
Who says England couldn’t bring home the bacon in the World Cup?
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2018
After all, where’s the fun of being in Congress if you can’t bring home the bacon?
From Washington Times ● Jan. 24, 2018
"We are confident the prime minister can bring home the bacon and then we will ask our members again," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2015
Elmer's got the dandy idea, all right," said George; "you leave him alone, and he'll sure bring home the bacon.
From The Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts: Under Canvas or, The Hunt for the Cartaret Ghost by Alan Douglas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
