bring home the bacon

Verb

bring home the bacon (third-person singular simple present brings home the bacon, present participle bringing home the bacon, simple past and past participle brought home the bacon)

1. To win or succeed.
   • I am going to do my bit, Corky, and it may be that my bit will turn out to be just the trifle that brings home the bacon.1924, P.G. Wodehouse, The World of Ukbridge
   • Brown had pushed the champion very hard for first place the previous year, and to many of his supporters, this year he could "bring home the bacon".2002, Joseph Andre Ryan, The Tely 10: A History of Newfoundland's Premier Road Race, 1922-2000

   Synonyms:

   triumph, walk off with, put bread on the table, put food on the table, make ends meet

2. (idiomatic) To have employment which provides remuneration to satisfy the basic needs of oneself and one's family.
   • It's just that I think I'm going to lose my job at the studio and am damned scared of not being able to bring home the bacon.2005, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
   • No one brought home the bacon better than Stevens.2008 November 22, “In Alaska, Stevens' long reign is over”, in Los Angeles Times

   Synonyms:

   carry one's weight, earn a living, earn one's corn, earn one's crust, earn one's keep, keep the home fires burning, put bread on the table, put food on the table