The origin of the idiom “bringing home the bacon” is debated, but it may come from a 12th-century tradition of giving bacon to a devoted couple. The phrase became more common in the 20th century, often used to delineate gender roles in marriage. As households became more varied, the responsibility of financially supporting a household is now seen as a joint effort.
The “bringing home bacon” idiom is a term that usually has relevance to the individual or individuals within a household who actively work outside the home and bring home some sort of income for their efforts. The origin of this fanciful English saying is somewhat debated, with some sources tracing the origin to 12th-century writings. “Bring home the bacon” has continued to be a well-understood idiom in a number of English-speaking cultures, although many households since the latter part of the 12th century functioned with the help of at least two income earners.
One of the most common origins claimed for the expression dates back to the early 12th century and has to do with the gift of a side of bacon to a young couple who impressed a prominent local clergyman with their deep devotion to one another. There is probably some truth to this legend, especially as this type of tradition is still very much alive and well in the Great Dunmow area of Essex in the United Kingdom.
Usage of the specific phrase “bringing home the bacon” is a bit more complicated, with the phrase appearing more commonly in 20th-century publications, beginning with newspaper accounts related to professional boxing bouts. For this reason, there is some merit in seeing this particular idiom as a product of the United States in the early years of that century, even though there may be an underlying basis for older references to bacon referring to money and livelihood. .
In the context of the prevailing culture during the first half of the 20th century, the term was often used as a means of delineating the responsibilities of each spouse in a marriage. The men were to be the breadwinners and bring home the bacon, while the women were to take care of the house and the hearth, making prudent use of the income generated by the husband to create a comfortable and pleasant home for that husband.
As gender roles and the structure of households became more varied during the second half of the 20th century, it became more common for more than one individual in the household to generate income and bring home bacon. For this reason, the task of financially financing a household is rarely seen as the responsibility of a single individual, but as the joint effort of two or more residents of the home. This has also led to changes in the understanding of who is primarily responsible for tasks such as home maintenance and how each parent is involved in the act of raising children.
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