Question

question 15 of 20
read the following excerpt from \i sell a dog\ by mark twain:

i was out of money and i went down to washington to see
if could earn enough there to keep me in bread and butter
while i should write the book.

what is the role of the idiom in this sentence?

a. to describe the typical diet of people who lived during twains
time

b. to add humor to the sentence by equating money with something
to eat

c. to indicate that twain needed money in order to eat

d. to show that twain was used to living a hand - to - mouth existence

Explanation:

The idiom "bread and butter" here is used figuratively to refer to the basic means of livelihood (money for basic needs). Option A is incorrect as it's not about the actual diet. Option C is too literal; the idiom is not just about needing money to eat but about earning enough for sustenance. Option D is incorrect as the sentence is about earning to sustain while writing, not about his usual lifestyle. Option B is correct because equating money (needed for livelihood) with food (bread and butter) adds a humorous touch by using a literal - sounding phrase for a non - literal (financial) need.

Answer:

B. To add humor to the sentence by equating money with something to eat