put food on the table

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

put food on the table (third-person singular simple present puts food on the table, present participle putting food on the table, simple past and past participle put food on the table)

1. (idiomatic) To provide enough money to cover basic necessities.

   Synonyms: put bread on the table; see also Thesaurus:make a living

   • 2009, “My Laid-off Life”, in The Guardian, 15 Jun 09:

     I don't care what I do. If it pays the bills and puts food on the table, I'm not bothered.

   • 2005, Darwin Porter et al., Frommer's Italy 2005:

     The locals bemoan the tourist crush and at the same time welcome it because it puts food on the table.

   • 1996, Werner Peters, Society on the Run, page 81:

     The middle class does not consider itself free form the concern of putting food on the table.

Translations

provide enough money to cover basic necessities

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 養家糊口 / 养家糊口 (yǎngjiāhúkǒu)

• Finnish: tuoda leipä pöytään
• French: mettre du pain sur la table, nourrir son homme (fr), faire bouillir la marmite (fr)
• Polish: zapewniać byt impf, zapewnić byt pf