bring home the bacon

bring home the bacon

1. To earn money, as from steady employment. The phrase may originate from the fairground contest in which participants try to catch a greased pig in order to win it. Now that I have a full-time job, I'm bringing home the bacon! My wife brings home the bacon, while I watch the kids.
2. To be successful. After so many losing seasons, we definitely need a new quarterback—someone who can really bring home the bacon.
See also: bacon, bring, home
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bring home the bacon

Fig. to earn a salary; to bring home money earned at a job. I've got to get to work if I'm going to bring home the bacon. Go out and get a job so you can bring home the bacon.
See also: bacon, bring, home
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

bring home the bacon

1. Earn a living, provide the necessities of life, as in Now that she had a job, Patricia could bring home the bacon.
2. Be successful, accomplish something of value, as in George went to Washington and brought home the bacon-he got the funding we needed. Although the earliest citation for this phrase in the Oxford English Dictionary dates from 1924, the term is widely believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased pig, a popular competition at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
See also: bacon, bring, home
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

bring home the bacon

1. The person in a family who brings home the bacon is the person who goes out to work and earns money for the family. Sadly, we can't both stay at home and look after the kids — someone needs to bring home the bacon. In the past, husbands needed someone to cook and keep house and wives needed someone to bring home the bacon.
2. In sport, if someone brings home the bacon, they win or do very well. Reid and Duffield showed that they and other jockeys like them are capable of bringing home the bacon in style. The team is still top of the Premiership league, in prime position to bring home the bacon. Note: In the past, large pieces of bacon or even whole pigs were sometimes given as prizes in competitions.
See also: bacon, bring, home
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

bring home the bacon

1 supply material provision or support. 2 achieve success. informal
This phrase probably derives from the much earlier save your bacon , recorded from the mid 17th century. In early use bacon also referred to fresh pork, the meat most readily available to rural people.
2 1997 Spectator Mr Montgomery was able to sack Mr Hargreaves , who had evidently not brought home the bacon.
See also: bacon, bring, home
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

bring home the ˈbacon

(informal) be successful in something; be the person who earns money for a family, an organization, etc: The firm wants very much to get this contract, and we’re expecting you to bring home the bacon. He’s the one who brings home the bacon, not his wife.
See also: bacon, bring, home
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

bring home the bacon

1. To earn a living, especially for a family.
2. To achieve desired results; have success.
See also: bacon, bring, home
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

bring home the bacon, to

To succeed, to come back with something of value. The term most likely comes from the sport of catching a greased pig, popular at county fairs, where the winner was awarded the pig. However, Dr. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer believed it might come from a much older practice, instituted as far back as the early twelfth century and revived by Robert Fitzwalter in 1244. This baron willed that a side of bacon be given to any married person who would travel to Dunmow, kneel on two sharp stones at the church door, and swear that for at least a year and a day there had been no fighting in his marriage and no wish to be unmarried.
See also: bring, home
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • bring home the bacon, to
  • like a greased pig
  • like greased lightning
  • the greasy pole
  • grease (one's) palm
  • grease palm
  • grease somebody's palm
  • grease someone’s palm
  • grease someone's palm
  • grease (one's) hand
References in periodicals archive
With fewer men to "bring home the bacon", he reckons Britain is seeing "the collapse in the economic circumstances that hold families together".
Shame on you, David Willetts
Yesterday, the former Govan shipyard worker said: "I wanted to express what we do on a daily basis and the thing everybody does is bring home the bacon.
Hold the front page ..while I paint it; Exclusive Record featured in Scot's work of art
One to bring home the bacon Flat jockey Pat Smullen I'm a big fan of the National Hunt game.
IRISH BANKER
Isn't this the same Mrs Hewitt who in 1990 put together a pamphlet with Harriet Harman called The Family Way which advocated the death of the traditional family and attacked stay-at-home mums saying the idea that men should bring home the bacon and women bring up the kids was an outdated concept.
Carole Malone's column: YOU MUST BE KIDDING
One to bring home the bacon Flat trainer Jim Bolger I love watching Cheltenham and will watch it today at Kevin Prendergast's house at the Curragh.
IRISH BANKER
A HOLLYWOOD studio chief has been forced to quit after the expensive sequel to smash- hit Babe failed to bring home the bacon.
Babe film flop gets studio boss the chop
Pub giant Wetherspoons aims to bring home the bacon - with a PS2.99 fry-up.
PUBS TO FRY RIVALS; CITY DESK
Bolton's Danish duo Per Frandsen and Michael Johansen always looked set to bring home the bacon.
BLAKE THE RAKE NOTCHES AGAIN; Bolton 2 Portsmouth 0
In the race itself, Franny Norton gave his mount every opportunity to bring home the bacon for backers, but the gelding appeared to lack a finishing kick and came home in third.
Gambling yards miss out; BETTING REPORT TRADING POST
While Gunners manager Arsene Wenger (above) will be very conscious of his players being fried after 120 minutes at the weekend, he also knows they have to bring home the bacon to take back fourth place from Everton.
STREAKY SAM; THE DUGOUT; Mirror Football's Ed Malyon previews the big-match action for Mirror Fantasy Football
THERE are a number of shortpriced home teams on the European coupon and BAYERN MUNICH and LYON can bring home the bacon for favourite backers, writes Mark Langdon.
Football: Big two can form value double pick; EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
FRY DON'T BELIEVE IT Time to bring home the bacon as eating a full English or Irish breakfast can help you lose weight more than cereal or fruit.
what'shot
The size of bet is one thing, but another decision to be taken is whether to operate a sliding scale of stakes on all our bets, governed by the strength of our opinion and the perceived value available, or operate a more level-stakes approach, reasoning that sometimes it's the more hopeful selections that bring home the bacon and the fancied ones that disappoint.
Portfolio: Level stakes or a sliding scale - its a matter of individual preference
Ryan Tubridy should be praised for acknowledging that in this new climate not even stars such as himself are immune from being sacked if they fail to bring home the bacon.
RTE blunder has to be a wake-up call
PAUL McGINLEY had Angel Cabrera backers worried at Wentworth yesterday, but when the Irishman folded over the closing holes, the way was left clear for the pre-event 25-1 hotpot to bring home the bacon, writes Paul Kealy.
Golf: Angel holds his nerve to claim BMW