know which side one's bread is buttered on
Recognize one's advantages
To know which side one's bread is buttered on is to understand where your advantage lies and act accordingly.
The phrase suggests practical self-interest—not biting the hand that feeds you, staying in good favor with those who benefit you: He's not going to criticize the boss; he knows which side his bread is buttered on.
- self-interestConcern for personal advantage
- looking out for number onePrioritizing personal gain above others
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- diplomacyNegotiation between nations
- cautionCareful attention to risk
discernment · calculation · survival instinct · playing the game · networking · strategy · picking one's battles · situational awareness · reading the room · opportunism · adaptability · sycophancy · kissing up · prioritization · judgment · patron · tact · influence
know which side one's bread is buttered onbite the hand that feeds one
Harm one's provider
cut off one's nose to spite one's face · shoot oneself in the foot · be one's own worst enemy · tilt at windmills · naive
know which side one's bread is buttered onspeak truth to power
Criticize those in charge
integrity · moral courage · idealism · burn one's bridges · stick to one's guns
know which side one's bread is buttered onwet behind the ears
Naive and inexperienced
born yesterday · innocent · guileless · unworldly · green
knowledgeable, breads, breaded, breading, butter, buttered, buttering