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On Which Side Is Your Bread Buttered?
It’s been a while since I’ve done an idiom article. The last one was back in 2021, in fact, when I did I’m On Cloud Nine. Since a few of them were somewhat popular with readers, I figured it was time for another.
The idiom I’m writing about now is knowing which side one’s bread is buttered on.
It a saying most have heard — or used. It is generally taken to mean that even though one might not approve of or be comfortable in their present circumstances, the status quo has advantages. For example, you may hate your job, but it pays well and you have a lot of bills. Thus, you decide to keep working in your current position as it provides something good even if the overall situation is less than ideal — or even unpleasant.
So, how did this saying come about? I would think the buttered side of the bread would have a more appealing flavor than the unbuttered side and deemed a good thing, though I can’t find any reference to back this up. It might be that bread was a very common food item and, thus, the meaning was easily understood.
One early occurrence of the idiom can be found in The Proverbs of John Heywood:
Yes yes, (quoth she) for all those wise words uttred,
I know on which side my bread is buttred:
But there will no butter cleave on my bread:
And on my bread any butter to be spread;
This was penned back in 1546.
This idiom appears to have also been in the Lansdowne Manuscripts 679 by Samuel Fox (or Foxe, I’ve seen it both ways). I’m unsure which was written first.
As you can see, this saying has been around for quite some time. In any event, it has changed little in phraseology or meaning in the passing centuries. Because the meaning is clear, it is likely to have been around for some years prior to being put down in print.
The saying has even been used in pop culture. A song titled “What Side Your Bread Is Buttered On” was written by Clyde Otis and Jimmy Williams and sung by Diane Pane. I haven’t been able to determine the year it was released (1950–60?), but you can listen to it on YouTube.
That’s about all I could find on this idiom. I wonder if it is so common and been used for so long that no one feels the need to document it.
As a final note, I know it is sometimes advised that writers avoid idioms. They can become dated and future readers may not understand — or even misunderstand them. Since many people still butter their bread, this one will probably be safe to use for a while. I suppose if it needs updating, we could say, “I know which side of my toast has the avocado.”
Or not…
The photo at the top of this article is by Seriously Low Carb on Unsplash.
