See know what side of one's bread is buttered in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
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"lang": "English",
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"word": "know which side one's bread is buttered on"
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"ref": "1953 August 20, Grampaw Ned Oakley, “Grampaw Oakley”, in Pottstown Mercury, volume 22, number 281, Pottstown, Pa.: Pottstown Daily News Publishing Co., published 21 August 1953, →OCLC, page 4, column 1:",
"text": "Wal, I see by the papers where Adlai Stevenson came home from his ’round-the-world tour. With all that strife in Europe, and strikes in Paris, he seems to know what side of his bread is buttered.",
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"ref": "2012, anonymous author, “Flakiness and the Obnoxiously Busy”, in Tim Culvahouse, editor, arcCA: Architecture California, the Journal of the American Institute of Architects, California Council, Sacramento, Calif.: American Institute of Architects, California Council, →OCLC, page 17, column 2:",
"text": "For example, if I hear, “We will start (something somewhat speculative that takes real initiative) next week,” I know what they really mean is that, in a month, I will have the same conversation with them again. Is it that bad? Yes. People aren’t lazy, and they always know what side of their bread is buttered, but there is a prevailing lack of intention or awareness.",
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"ref": "2018 December 6, Ben Joravsky, “Which mayoral candidates will survive the petition challenge process?”, in Anne Elizabeth Moore, editor, Chicago Reader, volume 47, number 10, Chicago, Ill.: STM Reader, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:",
"text": "Ballot access cases are overseen by hearing officers, who generally are smart enough to know what side of their bread is buttered—if you catch my drift.",
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"Alternative form of know which side one's bread is buttered on."
],
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"ref": "1953 August 20, Grampaw Ned Oakley, “Grampaw Oakley”, in Pottstown Mercury, volume 22, number 281, Pottstown, Pa.: Pottstown Daily News Publishing Co., published 21 August 1953, →OCLC, page 4, column 1:",
"text": "Wal, I see by the papers where Adlai Stevenson came home from his ’round-the-world tour. With all that strife in Europe, and strikes in Paris, he seems to know what side of his bread is buttered.",
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269,
310
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"ref": "2012, anonymous author, “Flakiness and the Obnoxiously Busy”, in Tim Culvahouse, editor, arcCA: Architecture California, the Journal of the American Institute of Architects, California Council, Sacramento, Calif.: American Institute of Architects, California Council, →OCLC, page 17, column 2:",
"text": "For example, if I hear, “We will start (something somewhat speculative that takes real initiative) next week,” I know what they really mean is that, in a month, I will have the same conversation with them again. Is it that bad? Yes. People aren’t lazy, and they always know what side of their bread is buttered, but there is a prevailing lack of intention or awareness.",
"type": "quote"
},
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88,
129
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"ref": "2018 December 6, Ben Joravsky, “Which mayoral candidates will survive the petition challenge process?”, in Anne Elizabeth Moore, editor, Chicago Reader, volume 47, number 10, Chicago, Ill.: STM Reader, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:",
"text": "Ballot access cases are overseen by hearing officers, who generally are smart enough to know what side of their bread is buttered—if you catch my drift.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Alternative form of know which side one's bread is buttered on."
],
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]
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"word": "know what side of one's bread is buttered"
}
Download raw JSONL data for know what side of one's bread is buttered meaning in English (3.3kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (8b3c49c and 3c020d2). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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