当饭吃

当饭吃

Literally means:

take snacks for meals

Actually means:

饭 refers to the three meals of a day, which can also be a metaphor for means of making a living.

The phrase literally means taking snacks for meals, and it figuratively means regarding something irrelevant to one's occupation as the source of livelihood or taking a secondary matter as something important. It often connotes criticism.

饭，这里指一天三顿所吃的正餐，也比喻谋生的手段。

当饭吃，指把零食作为正餐吃。也比喻把与职业无关的事情作为维持生活的经济来源，或把次要的事情当成重要的事情。多含有批评的意味。