butter one's bread on both sides

verb

To profit from two things at the same time, especially when those things seem contradictory or incompatible.

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Meanings

verbbutter one's bread on both sides (third-person singular simple present butters one's bread on both sides, present participle buttering one's bread on both sides, simple past and past participle buttered one's bread on both sides)

present singular third person butters one's bread on both sides · participle present buttering one's bread on both sides · participle past buttered one's bread on both sides · past buttered one's bread on both sides

  1. idiomaticTo profit from two things at the same time, especially when those things seem contradictory or incompatible.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
have one's bread buttered on both sides

Translations

Dutch van twee walletjes eten
  • van twee walletjes etenprofit from two things at the same time
French avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre
  • avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurreprofit from two things at the same time
Norwegian få i pose og sekk
  • få i pose og sekkprofit from two things at the same time
Polish piec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniu, upiec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniu
  • piec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniuprofit from two things at the same time
  • upiec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniuprofit from two things at the same time
Cite this entry
APA

butter one's bread on both sides. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter%20one's%20bread%20on%20both%20sides

MLA

“butter one's bread on both sides.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter%20one's%20bread%20on%20both%20sides. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butter one's bread on both sides,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butter%20one's%20bread%20on%20both%20sides.

Source: butter one's bread on both sides on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.