bring home the bacon

1. Earn a living, provide the necessities of life, as in Now that she had a job, Patricia could bring home the bacon .

2. Be successful, accomplish something of value, as in George went to Washington and brought home the bacon—he got the funding we needed . Although the earliest citation for this phrase in the Oxford English Dictionary dates from 1924, the term is widely believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased pig, a popular competition at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.

Example Sentences

Bring home the bacon in this week’s Slate News Quiz.

From Slate

The two set off on a quest to bring home the Bacon in time for Christmas morning.

From Salon

As chairman of the Commerce Committee and second-ranking Democrat on Appropriations, he could bring home the bacon.

From Washington Post

Now that you can decode the package labels, you’re ready to bring home the bacon.

From Washington Post

Bring home the bacon . . . literally.

From Salon