What Does “bring home the bacon” mean?
Definition:
If you bring home the bacon, you work hard to earn money to satisfy your basic needs and those of your family.
Origin
There are different theories about the origin of the phrase. One theory stipulates that the expression goes back to 1104. A couple was so devoted to each other in a town called Dunmow in Essex, England that the Prior (i.e., mayor) was impressed by their devotion and offered them a flitch (i.e., the flank of a pig.) Later, a competition, called the Dunmow Flitch, where couples show their devotion to each other and win a prize was started in the town and continues every four years.
Another theory about the origin goes back to 1906 when Joe Gans won a boxing championship. It is testified that Joe Gans’ mother had sent him a telegram before the fight telling him that everybody is expecting him to win and that he had to bring home the bacon. When he won, he responded that he:
“had not only the bacon, but the gravy.”
Example(s)
When her husband got fired, she decided to look for a job because someone’s got to bring home the bacon.
He works hard to bring home the bacon for his family.
