Click below to listen to the phrase.
Choose the correct definition a, b or c.
a) to earn money to live on
Well done ! That’s the right answer.
To bring home the bacon means to earn a salary for the family to live on.
It is said to originate from folklore. It comes from 1104, the story of a couple who received a side of bacon from the Prior of Little Dunmow for their commitment to each other.
French translation
faire bouillir la marmite
How NOT to translate : *rapporter le bacon à la maison
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Examples in context
‘And the Oscar goes to … the Irish film industry ?
James Hickey has the quietly satisfied air of a man who has just been vindicated in the most public way possible. Seven of the nominated Irish movies benefitted from film-board funding. And its CEO brandishes this fact like a golden statuette. Little wonder that Hickey calls it "a watershed moment for Irish film".
He will be in LA this week, but doesn’t stay for the Oscars themselves. By then he’s likely to be already burnt out from jet lag and the exhaustion of meetings between himself and US studios, distributors, talent agents, content platform providers, film financiers, and entertainment technology companies. By Monday morning, he reckons, he might be asleep. To be roused, possibly, only by a spray of champagne to the face should Saoirse Ronan or another of our emissaries in Tinseltown manage to bring home the bacon.’
Irish Independent, 28 February 2016
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‘See the Diet Soda Apocalypse in One Chart
Diet soda used to bring home the bacon—until many shoppers decided it isn’t really a healthy alternative and sales started slimming down.
But as shown in The Coca-Cola Company’s Wednesday earnings report, there’s one brand that’s managing to keep its sales afloat : Coke Zero.
A clever “Diet Coke for men” marketing strategy, combined with a consistent global rollout, has meant Coke Zero has posted near-consistent sales increases since its debut in 2005.’
TIME, 22 July 2015
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Everyday usage
We’re hoping that we can bring home the bacon with this new venture.
Sarah is a real go-getter ; she always brings home the bacon.
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