¡Mi pan con mantequilla!
My bread and butter. This is used in Spanish too right? Gracias.
Edit: Here is the link to the 16 second video where it is said. link text
8 Answers
Well, no, margerit, look at the expression on his face he seems to be saying, hey, just what I like...not used in Spain, at least not in Madrid.
But, to be clear, "my bread and butter" is an idiom and usually refers one's main source of income or one's main job or the like...the context is usually a job or income.
I'm a jeweler, and sizing rings and repairs are my bread and butter, but I really enjoy designing custom jewelery.
So, does the phrase mi pan con mantequilla get used in an economic sense as it is in English?
Sorry I have to weigh in here re the translation of idioms, I don't think there is one that translates exactly the same idea that the English idiom has (earning your main source of income). Hopefully a native speaker can think of one. There is 'el pan nuestro de cada día' but that really means 'something that happens all the time' and doesn't have anything to do with salaries or earning. The only other one I can think of to do with bread in English is the 'knowing which side your bread is buttered on' but in Spanish the true translation is 'saber dónde se aprieta el zapato' and hasn't got anything to do with bread. I am starting to be very wary of the translations done on the subtitles - they seem a bit slap happy - I have also seen translations (on the web) for songs and they are really awful. The idea doesn't come across at all. Just my two cents... Sometimes there is a real true idiom in the other language but I'm thinking in this case there is not! What do others think?
Hi, I just watched it, and I believe he is just commenting on the fact that he has to leave his food (I guess he was eating bread and butter?) altho I saw chopsticks there.He was just lamenting that he had to leave his food and go fight the intruders at I forget which gate.... That's my take. I would say it is not idiomatic at all... just food. (Haha). My goodness those mangas take me waaaaay back - the first one I ever saw was in Spain and it was Heidi!!!
Hello! you are right: mi pan con mantequilla.
Mi pan y mantequilla. My bread and butter. Mi pan con mantequilla. My bread with butter.
Wait wait. A group of guys is about to attack a knight and he says Ah!! ¡Mi pan con mantequilla! Then he starts fighting. According to Gekkosan these are only for the food items and it isn't used idiomatically? He sounds like they used it idiomatically in this show.
I have found many google threads that use it idiomatically as well. * Este green fue musicalizado por Milosh y MGMT (No es mi pan con mantequilla, pero nada mal en realidad) 
...
So is it not an acceptable idiom and they were just taking liberties in the show? It sounds pretty idiomatic to me. My original question was "Can this be used the same as in English" and Gekko said "Yes, but only as food items" which of course means no. I wonder.
These are not subs. They were spoken dialog that was recorded in Spain. The dialog sounds really good and flowing and the voice actors are quite good. Here I have a clip of it. link text It's only 16 seconds long, and shows just what I mean.
