to have one's bread buttered

8.9

To have enough money to live comfortably

idiom

Informal

: estar bien provisto

Thanks to his successful investments, he knows he has his bread buttered for the foreseeable future.

Examples

After years of hard work, she finally has her bread buttered and can enjoy a comfortable life.
I shall both have my bread buttered on both sides and have a few secrets revealed.

Challenge to Lassie (1949)
With her new job, he feels like he has his bread buttered and can support his family without worries.

Synonyms

bread buttered for life

vsto have one's bread buttered

Informal

9.8

To have enough money to live well for the rest of your life

is about being financially secure without stressing lifelong duration

Antonyms

impoverished

50 6.2

People or places that have very little money and few things they need

insecureness

6.8

Feeling unsure and worried about safety or the future

How Secure

to have one's bread buttered

Informal

8.9

to get by

121 3.1

Surface Forms

have one's bread buttered infinitive

had one's bread buttered past

had one's bread buttered past participle

having one's bread buttered present participle

has one's bread buttered third person singular

Morphology

have + one + bread + buttered

The phrase pairs 'bread' (a colloquial term for money/earnings) with 'buttered' (made better or more comfortable), so a learner who recognises 'bread' as slang for cash could plausibly infer a meaning related to being well provided for. However, this relies on slang knowledge and a metaphorical extension (buttering as improving/providing), so the sense is not fully predictable from the literal parts and is somewhat idiomatic.

Etymology

Have one's bread buttered comes from the picture of someone whose bread is already buttered and ready to eat, so they do not need to worry about basic food. That's why the phrase now means 'to be financially secure' or 'well provided for'.