Bread and cheese is good to eat when cannot get another meat!
Bread and cheese is good to eat when cannot get another meat!
Meaning in plain English
Bread and cheese accepted when other food is unavailable give a simpler option an image of meeting an immediate need. The source wording contains an incomplete phrase.
Example
Someone uses a suitable available option while recognising needs that still require support.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wording is preserved rather than filled in from memory. A qualified reading can value an available adequate option without making a nutritional claim or glorifying deprivation. The proverb cannot establish what food is safe or sufficient for an individual, and unmet needs should still receive attention.
When to use it
Use it only as a qualified available-option image, not dietary guidance.
Keep in mind
No corrected wording, nutritional adequacy or safe-food assessment is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Country attributed by the collection
United Kingdom · source-attributed; earliest origin unverified
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 950; PDF page 83; collection label: United Kingdom
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Contributor-confirmed reuse permission
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗