"know which side of the bread is buttered" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "knows which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knowing which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knew which side of the bread was buttered",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knew which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "known which side of the bread was buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "known which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "know<,,knew,known> which side of the bread is<is,is,was:is> buttered"
      },
      "expansion": "know which side of the bread is buttered (third-person singular simple present knows which side of the bread is buttered, present participle knowing which side of the bread is buttered, simple past knew which side of the bread was buttered or knew which side of the bread is buttered, past participle known which side of the bread was buttered or known which side of the bread is buttered)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "know which side one's bread is buttered on"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              230,
              271
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1962, Frank Giles, “A reporter at work”, in A Prince of Journalists: The Life and Times of Henri Stefan Opper de Blowitz, London: Faber and Faber, →OCLC, page 124:",
          "text": "It was a graceless and ungrateful act and, in view of Blowitz’s Orléanist sympathies, must have antagonized from the start that stalwart champion of the inoffensive Princes’ rights. But Boulanger, a political general on the make, knew which side of the bread was buttered, and to his skill in posing as a guardian of Republican virtues was soon added his power of exciting the love for a military hero which lies embedded within the French breast.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              141,
              182
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2001, Julie Garwood, chapter 7, in Mercy, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 73:",
          "text": "Catherine had hired Phillip before she’d married John. He was a partner in the prestigious firm of Benchley, Tarrance, and Paulson. Benchley knew which side of the bread was buttered. The old fart had catered to Catherine’s every whim.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              107,
              148
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2003 October 9, Ken Fisher, “Pentium 4 Extremely Expensive Edition, cache boost for everyman”, in Ars Technica:",
          "text": "On the other hand, the decision to beef up the standard fare without raising prices is a signal that Intel knows which side of the bread is buttered.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of know which side one's bread is buttered on."
      ],
      "id": "en-know_which_side_of_the_bread_is_buttered-en-verb-Z1w236-J",
      "links": [
        [
          "know which side one's bread is buttered on",
          "know which side one's bread is buttered on#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "know which side of the bread is buttered"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "knows which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knowing which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knew which side of the bread was buttered",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knew which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "known which side of the bread was buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "known which side of the bread is buttered",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "know<,,knew,known> which side of the bread is<is,is,was:is> buttered"
      },
      "expansion": "know which side of the bread is buttered (third-person singular simple present knows which side of the bread is buttered, present participle knowing which side of the bread is buttered, simple past knew which side of the bread was buttered or knew which side of the bread is buttered, past participle known which side of the bread was buttered or known which side of the bread is buttered)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "know which side one's bread is buttered on"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              230,
              271
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1962, Frank Giles, “A reporter at work”, in A Prince of Journalists: The Life and Times of Henri Stefan Opper de Blowitz, London: Faber and Faber, →OCLC, page 124:",
          "text": "It was a graceless and ungrateful act and, in view of Blowitz’s Orléanist sympathies, must have antagonized from the start that stalwart champion of the inoffensive Princes’ rights. But Boulanger, a political general on the make, knew which side of the bread was buttered, and to his skill in posing as a guardian of Republican virtues was soon added his power of exciting the love for a military hero which lies embedded within the French breast.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              141,
              182
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2001, Julie Garwood, chapter 7, in Mercy, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 73:",
          "text": "Catherine had hired Phillip before she’d married John. He was a partner in the prestigious firm of Benchley, Tarrance, and Paulson. Benchley knew which side of the bread was buttered. The old fart had catered to Catherine’s every whim.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              107,
              148
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2003 October 9, Ken Fisher, “Pentium 4 Extremely Expensive Edition, cache boost for everyman”, in Ars Technica:",
          "text": "On the other hand, the decision to beef up the standard fare without raising prices is a signal that Intel knows which side of the bread is buttered.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of know which side one's bread is buttered on."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "know which side one's bread is buttered on",
          "know which side one's bread is buttered on#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "know which side of the bread is buttered"
}