Meaning of know which side one's bread is buttered on | Babel Free

Definitions

To be aware of where one's interests lie in a situation.

idiomatic

Examples

“They are all stupid when they are not crafty, and very few of them are crafty. The only wise Republicans are the millionnaires and their conscious henchmen. They know which side their bread is buttered on, and they know why.”

“He knows which side his bread is buttered on through in all probability he never realised what it is to be without regular meals.”

“Many of them must have agreed in their hearts, and applauded his courage secretly. But their foolishness was of the world; they knew which side their bread is buttered on.”

CEFR level