Now, most countries around the world have some sorts of bread in their food culture. No matter what shape or taste it has, people need bread. It not only helps them to make a living but also to feel satisfied and comfortable. Maybe that is how the word "bread" got its slang meaning.
Bread means money in some English expressions. If you "make a lot of bread" at a job, your boss is paying you well. But if you are "out of bread", you do not have any way to pay for your bills. You are broke!
Even though "bread" above means "money", the word "breadwinner" does not mean someone who has won money in a competition. A "breadwinner" is a person who makes money for others. They are the ones who pay the bills in a family like your parents. So, we also call a breadwinner a "provider".
It would be not nice if someone "took the bread out of your mouth". But that does not mean they stole your sandwich while you were eating it. This expression means they took away your ability to make money or your way to make money. If your bread is taken out of your mouth, you could end up living by governments' help.
A "breadline" is a group of people asking for food from government. In the 1930s, during the economic depression(经济大萧条)in the United States, it was common to see hundreds of people in big cities waiting on breadlines. So, being "on the breadline" describes someone who depends on food donations to live.
And that's the end of today's Word Story. If you want to learn some other "bread" expressions, please listen to FM 88. 9 at 6：00 pm tomorrow. I am Anna Mateo. Bye!
