proverb · Source-linked selection
They that have no other meat, Bread and butter are glad to eat.
They that have no other meat, Bread and butter are glad to eat.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
When richer options are unavailable, a simple provision can be welcome. The saying describes satisfaction shaped by circumstances, without proving that people need no more or should be denied better choices.
What the words are saying
Bread and butter stand against the other food that the people in the saying do not have. The image concerns how a modest option can become appreciated when alternatives are absent. It can express relief at having something sufficient for the immediate situation, rather than disappointment at missing an ideal choice. The statement should not be used to tell someone what they must be glad about or to excuse preventable deprivation. Accepting an available option and wanting a better one can coexist. Its useful application is an acknowledgement of a workable provision, with the speaker’s circumstances kept visible rather than turned into a rule for everyone.
Everyday example
After their picnic venue closes unexpectedly, friends welcome the sandwiches they brought while arranging a more comfortable meeting place for another day.
When to use it
Use it to acknowledge a modest but welcome option when preferred alternatives are unavailable.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
Gratitude should not be demanded from others or used to justify denying adequate provision.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 159 · Bread and Butter
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English