Definition of have one’s cake and eat it too : to have or enjoy the good parts of something without having or dealing with the bad parts They seem to think they can have their cake and eat it too by having excellent schools for their son without paying high taxes.
Can you really have your cake and eat it too?
You can’t have your cake and eat it (too) is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech. The proverb literally means ‘you cannot simultaneously retain your cake and eat it’. Once the cake is eaten, it is gone. It can be used to say that one cannot have two incompatible things, or that one should not try to have more than is reasonable.
What does having your cake and eating it too mean?
have (one’s) cake and eat it (too) To have or do two things that one desires that are normally contradictory or impossible to have or do simultaneously. Because ‘have’ can also mean ‘eat,’ this expression may seem redundant.
Can We have our cake and eat it too?
You can’t have your cake and eat it (too) is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech. The proverb literally means ‘you cannot simultaneously retain your cake and eat it’. Once the cake is eaten, it is gone. It can be used to say that one cannot have two incompatible things, or that one should not try to have more than is reasonable.
Can we make a cake and eat it too?
So, can you please clarify, Zahid, how is it that while Umno is very much a part of the government, it shouldn’t bear the blame of irresponsibly running the affairs of the country? Especially when all things to do with Covid-19 and SOP confusions are primarily handled by Umno ministers? One can’t have the cake and eat it too.
What Does Have Your Cake and Eat It Too Mean?
- Have you ever had a strong want to accomplish something or to see something happen, expressed your desire to a friend or family member, and been told, ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too?″ Did you understand what they were saying?
- Is it possible that they were supporting your request or were being unsupportive of your wish?
- Explore the meaning of this widespread idiomatic and proverbial English term by reading the following passage.
What Does Have Your Cake and Eat It Too Mean?
- When there are two desired but mutually incompatible or conflicting alternatives available, the expression ″have your cake and eat it, too″ is used to emphasize that you can’t have your cake and eat it at the same time. Instead, you must select a choice between the two options. That’s why you’ll generally hear or see the phrase used in the manner in which it was used to begin this post: immediately followed by the words ″you can’t.″ You may also hear or read the phrase written as ″have your cake and eat it, too,″ with the word ″too″ dropped from the end—this is a common use in British English, where it is most common. Keep in mind that the expression can be written with or without a comma at the beginning as well. Due to the fact that the word have may indicate either ″to own″ or ″to consume,″ as in ″have breakfast,″ this idiom might be difficult to understand at times. This phrase makes use of the word ″possess,″ and hence literally means ″you can’t possess your cake and eat it, too.″ While some may dispute whether this is correct or not (see below), consider the following: Once you’ve had a piece of cake, it’s no longer in your possession and is no longer available for purchase. To put it another way, you can’t eat a cake and also keep a cake at the same time. As a result, the statement has a metaphorical meaning: You can’t have two nice things that are at odds with one other or incompatible with each other at the same time. Many language historians, like Ben Zimmer, have noted that when the terms of the adage are reversed, the saying makes more sense and causes less confusion, as in you can’t have your cake and eat it, or you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Zummer published a popular piece on this in The New York Times, which was widely read.) At one point in time, it appears that this was the most prevalent order of the statement
- continue reading to learn more about the expression’s history in greater detail. An alternative interpretation of the adage is that it is a synonym for the well-known phrases ″you can’t have it both ways″ and ″you can’t have the best of both worlds.″ An alternative meaning of the term is that a person should not attempt to have more than is acceptable or to have their fair share of the resources available to them. Take a look at these examples of statements that make use of the idiom ″have your cake and eat it, too″: I understand that you like dining at upscale establishments and learning about food via the consumption of delectable gourmet dishes, but if you don’t cut back on your dining out, you’ll never be able to save enough money to put yourself through culinary school. You’ve heard the expression, ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ right?
- The house my girlfriend and I want has plenty of acreage and only a few neighbors, but it also has to be in a convenient location that is accessible to everything in town. ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ our dissatisfied realtor told us on our most recent house-hunting excursion.
- That you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, is something I wish weren’t true. In my childhood, I was attached to my piggy bank, which I wanted to keep on my shelf while also using the money from it to buy a toy. Now that I am an adult, I want my own space and privacy
- however, living with my mother is convenient because she does my laundry and cooks my meals
- however, I also want to be independent. In order to collect the money, it was necessary to break the code, which was an old-fashioned method of retrieving the money. That was the first time I realized you couldn’t have your cake and eat it, too.
The Expression’s Rich History
- It is believed that the phrase first appeared in print in 1538, in a letter from the Duke of Norfolk to Thomas Cromwell, or in 1546, in a play by playwright John Heywood titled A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue: Compacte in a Matter Concernyng Two Maner of Mariages, which was published in 1546.
- ″Would you bothe eat your cake, and haue your cake?″ Heywood asks in the final section of the poem.
- The passage may be difficult to understand due to the fact that his book was written during the Early Modern period of the English language’s development.
- Nevertheless, as previously indicated, you can observe that this early use of have and eat inverted their order, with the word eat appearing first in the statement.
- In fact, it appears that this order of the expression persisted for a long period of time after it was first used; it can be found in the poem The Scourge of Folly by poet John Davies, which was most likely published in 1611, as well as in Jonathan Swift’s Polite Conversation, which was first published in 1738.
- In fact, it’s possible that it remained the most common version, at least in printed form, until the 1930s or 1940s or even later.
- Similar fascinating words have long been used to describe the same meaning in other languages, and this is not a new phenomenon.
- For example, a related French proverb roughly translates as ″you can’t have both the butter and the money to purchase the butter at the same time.″ According to an Albanian adage, ″you can’t swim and not get wet,″ and according to a German proverb, ″you can’t dance at two separate weddings at the same time.″ A plethora of other instances from various languages are included in the Wikipedia section on the phrase ″have your cake and eat it, too.″
Understanding Idioms and Proverbs
- It is both an idiom and a proverb to say that you can have your cake and eat it too.
- An idiom is a phrase or statement that has a certain meaning that cannot be fully grasped by simply looking at the words that make up the phrase.
- Even if you’ve never heard the term ″idiom,″ you’ve most certainly come across a number of idiomatic phrases throughout your lifetime.
- Here are just a few of the most often used idioms in today’s language: You’re in a lot of trouble.
- His employer decided to fire him.
- It’s time to face the music, as they say.
- You’ve hit the nail on the head with this one.
- The first example might lead one to believe it was portraying a person standing in a bathtub full of hot water, if taken literally.
- However, the phrase is really used to indicate someone who is in difficulty.
- In the same way, rather than being handed a tool for cutting wood, if you get the ax from your employer, it signifies you’re being let go from your job.
It’s time to face the music, which means it’s time to accept responsibility for your acts and deal with the repercussions of those actions.And when someone has hit the nail on the head, it means that they have received an answer that is absolutely correct or that they have completed a task exactly as it should have been completed.It has already been established at the outset of this article that the term may be extremely misleading when taken literally, particularly if you interpret ″have″ to imply ″eat.″ You can’t have your cake and eat it, too, because it would be pretty monotonous and ridiculous!In recent years, linguists have debated whether or not the expression makes any sense at all, with some concluding that you may indeed have your cake and eat it too; that you must possess or have it in order to eat it.Others have commented on how foolish it is to try to figure out the logic of the sentence.
- After all, it is a slang expression.
- In addition, when it comes to idioms, it’s crucial to remember that they have figurative connotations as well as to acquire and understand those meanings rather than trying to take them literally and deconstruct their definitions in this manner.
- A proverb is a brief, popular statement or saying that gives guidance or communicates a universal truth to its listeners.
- The terms adage, aphorism, and maxim are all used as synonyms for the phrase proverb.
- Here are some more well-known proverbs that illustrate my point: The absence of a loved one makes the heart grow fonder.
- Blood is significantly thicker than water.
A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes.The definition of beauty lies in the mind of the beholder.There are many more idioms and proverbs to be found here.
Summary
The well-known idiom and proverb have your cake and eat it, too is used to express that a person can’t have two desirable but incompatible things at the same time. As much as one may want both good outcomes, if they’re conflicting and mutually exclusive, one simply must make a choice between them.
Maggie Cramer
For the past 15 years, I’ve devoted my professional life to words and language, working as a writer, editor, and communications expert, as well as an instructor in the field of language arts.I’m looking forward to learning about everything English with you and The Word Counter!I presently reside in the city of Asheville, in the state of North Carolina.
Writing, Literature, and Publishing BFA from Emerson College; Master of Education (MEd) in Secondary English Education from University of Florida; and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Writing, Literature, and Publishing BFA from Emerson College You may find me on LinkedIn, and you can view my online portfolio by clicking here!
Urban Dictionary: Have your cake and eat it too
Here’s what ‘have your cake and eat it too’ really means
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the expression ″to each his own.″ It says something like this: ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, as well.″ It appears to be ridiculous, doesn’t it?″Of course you can have your cake and eat it too!″ you could exclaim in response to the question.If you consume anything, you are obligated to consume it!
It should function in the same manner as saying ″have a beer″ or ″have dinner″ would.Eating is a way of displaying one’s ownership over something.If you eat something, you are considered to have consumed it.″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ writes language historian Ben Zimmer in The New York Times Magazine, explaining that the phrase makes greater sense when the structure is reversed.In this instance, the verbs are arranged in a different order, and the meaning becomes more evident.
- Once you’ve had your cake, there is no more cake to consume.
- If you consume a cake, you are no longer permitted to retain possession of the cake after you have finished it.
- Consequently, the term is used to inform someone that they cannot have two wonderful things that generally go together at the same time, such as eating cake and then keeping the cake in your possession so that you may have it later.
- Now, the word ″have″ is used in both formal and informal contexts in the English language, and it now includes the sense of ″eat.″ According to Zimmer, the term ″have your cake and eat it, too″ is out of date, and it may be time to phase it out altogether.
Urban Dictionary: you can’t have your cake and eat it too
Meaning:
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the expression ″to each his or her own.″ ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ as the saying goes.You’re probably thinking that it’s nonsense.As you could point out, ″Of course you can have your cake and eat it too!″ What happens when you consume something is that you get it!
Have a beer″ and ″have dinner″ are two examples of how it should operate.Demonstrating ownership via food is a common practice.Whenever you eat anything, you are considered to have consumed it.According to language historian Ben Zimmer in The New York Times Magazine, the phrase makes greater sense when the structure is reversed, as in: ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.″ In this instance, the verbs are arranged in a different order, and the meaning becomes clearer.The moment you finish your cake, there is no more cake to be had!
- If you devour a cake, you are no longer permitted to retain possession of the cake thereafter.
- Consequently, the term is used to inform someone that they cannot have two wonderful things that generally go together at the same time, such as eating cake and then keeping the cake in your possession so that you may have it later on.
- After a while, the English language has evolved to the point where the term ″have″ may also refer to the act of eating.
- According to Zimmer, the expression ″have your cake and eat it, too″ is antiquated, and it may be time to abolish it.
The Origin Of ‘You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too‘
To paraphrase an old Chinese saying, you can’t have your cake and eat it, either.When individuals hear this, they may become perplexed, and they may inquire, ″Wait, why can’t I do both?″ The solution is that if you had a cake and then eat it, you wouldn’t be able to have it any longer.It would be in your gut, of course.
″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ says the expression, which may be more easily understood if the language were adjusted slightly.As this adage illustrates, there are occasions when someone desires two desirable things at the same moment, yet they are unable to obtain both of those things because they are incompatible with one another (like in the example above).″You can’t have it both ways″ is a phrase that is similar to other phrases such as ″you can’t have it both ways″ or ″you can’t have your cake and eat it too.″ In any case, this adage has been around for at least 470 years.In a book written by John Heywood in 1546 titled A discourse conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the English language, it is written as follows: The question is, ″Would ye bothe eate your cake, and haue your cake″?
Sentence Examples – ‘You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too’
Consider the following line, which illustrates how the expression ″you can’t have your cake and eat it too″ is employed in a sentence: Mike was considering purchasing a rowing machine in order to become more physically active.He was looking for a machine that was both great in quality and as inexpensive as a bag of dirt.″You want to be able to have your cake and eat it too,″ he was informed, ″but rowing machines don’t allow you to accomplish that.″ In order to obtain one of superior quality, you will be need to fork out a large sum of money for it.″
What If I Told You?There are a variety of expressions that make use of the term ″cake″ that are currently in use.As an illustration: 1.
It’s as simple as pie This indicates that something is simple to accomplish.2.to be the one who gets the cake To give an example that stands out (for example, I’ve slept in numerous mattresses, but this one takes the cake), 3.There will be a cakewalk.Another term that means something is straightforward.
- 4.
- The product is selling like hotcakes.
- Something that is selling really quickly.
- 5.
- To be able to have one’s cake and eat it as well You’ve just just learned about it!
Have your cake and eat it too
Proverbs are phrases that show a well-known piece of wisdom or a universal truth.The saying ″you can’t have your cake and eat it too″ is a good example of this.After discussing the meaning of the phrase ″you can’t have your cake and eat it too,″ we will consider where the phrase originated and some instances of how it is used in sentences.
To say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too suggests that you must make a decision; you cannot have it both ways.A cake cannot be eaten by someone who wishes to keep it in his possession; these two options are mutually incompatible, to put it another way.A proverb from Albania that argues that you cannot swim and not get wet, as well as a German adage that declares that you cannot dance at two wedding receptions at the same time, express the same feeling about the need of selecting a decision.An early 1538 letter from Thomas, Duke of Norfolk to Thomas Cromwell contained one of the earliest recorded instances of the saying ″you can’t have your cake and eat it too.″ As in the phrase ″you can’t have your cake and eat it,″ the last word of a proverb is frequently deleted in British English; for example, you cannot have your cake and eat it.As an example, Continentals mumble about driving a ruthless bargain: there will be no ″have your cake and eat it too″ nonsense about autonomous British access to the EU’s coveted single market if the United Kingdom does not join the EU.
- (Source: The Ottawa Citizen.) To quote Mary Beard, the classicist: ″I honestly don’t think you can have your cake and eat it, either – you can’t whitewash Rhodes out of history while continuing to use his money,″ she says.
- This is according to The National Review.
- To the contrary, if you pretend today to be a Civil Society activist while collecting money from politicians and political parties to carry out their orders tomorrow, just remember that you cannot have your cake and eat it, as they say in the United States.
- (Source: The Nigerian Observer.
- )
COVID-19: Can We Have Our Cake and Eat It, Too?
He works with the Fulton County Board of Health as the Chief Clinical Officer of Medical & Preventive Services.The fact that 2020 is over is virtually universally acknowledged as the year 2021 approaches — but that’s about all we can agree on as the year 2021 approaches.As a result of our differences on issues such as politics, economy, and a plethora of other topics, we are actually on the verge of a replay of the American Civil War.
But nowhere is this separation more evident than in our response to COVID-19.There is a small number of folks who believe it is a worldwide existential danger capable of killing hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Americans and overloading health-care systems, even in the richest regions of our country, who are gathered in one corner.In the opposite camp is a group that believes that the general mortality rate is modest and that it is difficult to justify the extraordinary steps required to manage it when the great majority of those who contract the disease recover completely.Since the summer, when the number of reported cases initially increased, this split has been slowly expanding among homosexual males.With long waiting lists for hospital and intensive care unit beds, the healthcare system is now on the verge of collapsing, but large-scale festivities continue to be hosted at both local gay clubs and overseas places, like Las Vegas.
- Due to the fact that health care employees are being pushed to the verge of weariness, it is likely that some of them would want to express their displeasure with what looks to be full social irresponsibility among those attending the party.
- Currently, the matter has devolved into a social media stalemate, with the Instagram groups @gaysovercovid_, and @gogaysovergaysovercovid_ escalating the situation into something like to COVID-19’s shaming Inception.
- It may be difficult to believe, but there will come a day when COVID-19 will no longer be a threat to the lives of a substantial segment of our society.
- In the meantime, multiple vaccines are being developed that will eventually allow us to return to our regularly scheduled programming.
- As a result, even though we are exchanging anger and vitriol on virtual platforms right now, it appears likely that many of us will find ourselves attending the same parties in the near future.
- It would be good if we didn’t have to come prepared with weapons.
- Fortunately, research has demonstrated that there is a way to achieve a happy medium.
In order to get there, we must first accept two critical points.First and foremost, COVID-19 is an issue.While the danger among younger individuals is relatively low, infectious illnesses are contagious, and as a result, sickness that spreads among low-risk groups will eventually move to high-risk populations as well.Furthermore, calls to allow for unchecked spread in order to achieve herd immunity ignore both the enormous number of additional COVID-19-related deaths that we will suffer in order to achieve herd immunity as well as the enormous racial disparities in mortality that we will experience along the way.We can’t just toss folks under the bus because our lives are being made more difficult by their actions.
Second, we must understand that individuals will do what they are going to do no matter what we do.A number of studies have demonstrated that abstinence-only teaching does not work to prevent HIV, and the data demonstrating the harmful impact of stigmatizing conduct on HIV prevention efforts might cover an entire column in this journal.As a result, how can we bring these two things together?It isn’t difficult.Fortunately, we already know that full cessation of enjoyment is not required: Despite the fact that we didn’t cease having sexual relations in the 1980s, we were nevertheless able to achieve a huge decline in HIV incidence once we discovered what was going on.Even if HIV transmission needs (in almost all circumstances) agreement from everyone who is at risk of getting or transmitting the virus, COVID-19 can be transmitted to unwitting bystanders, there are some parallels between the two approaches in terms of harm reduction.
Here are a few ideas: Take it outside for a while.Although it is more difficult to do so in the cold, transmission is less probable outside.Reduce the size of the font.Increased party size increases the danger of transmission as well as the number of persons who may become infected with the virus.
Recognize that there is a danger.It is important to recognize that everyone at a large gathering is at risk of transmitting a disease into the community (yes, even if you have had the disease before), and taking extra precautions to limit contact with other people for the next 10–14 days may help to limit spread to those who are at high risk of serious illness.Finally, we must underline that the global dissemination of COVID-19 is not being pushed by homosexual rights organizations – there are a plethora of other organizations that are doing precisely what we are doing.True to its name, the inability to formulate a comprehensive national policy in one of the richest countries on the globe is unanimously attributed to our current state of affairs.Nonetheless, given our past, I believe we have a chance to draw on our collective wisdom and demonstrate to others how we may have fun while also keeping others safe.We have the ability to have our cake and eat it, too.
YOURSAY
YOUR OPINION |’Umno is equally to responsible for the government’s failure,’ you write.Zahid: Don’t equate Umno’s loss in the Covid-19 struggle to the downfall of the PN government.OCT: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the president of the Umno party, is no gentleman.
When credit is given, he will claim that Umno is the driving force behind it.After receiving criticism, he claims that Umno is not to blame because his senior members were the ones who made the choices in the first place.This indicates that either his top members are not obeying his orders or that they are putting their trust in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) rather than in Umno.Umno should withdraw en bloc from the PN government, as the party has no say in the administration.This is a straightforward solution that has been put in place.
- Demonstrate to PN that you are serious about doing business.
- What is the point of continuing the alliance if no mutual advantages are derived?
- The rakyat would appreciate it if you did that.
- It is pointless to complain.
- Take immediate action!
- Makcik is a liar.
- I’m sorry, but I think I’m missing something here.
Umno MPs are members of the People’s National Party (PN), which governs the country.Umno has also backed the People’s Party (PN) administration.Otherwise, PN would be unable to serve as the government (setting aside the fact whether or not PN has a simple majority in Parliament).So, Zahid, could you kindly explain how it is that, despite the fact that Umno is an integral component of the administration, it should not be held accountable for the irresponsible way in which the country is being run?Not least because Umno ministers are in charge of everything having to do with Covid-19 and the SOP tangled web?
It is impossible to have one’s cake and eat it too.Is this an idea that is too difficult for your simple intellect to comprehend?Iphonezours: Sorry, Zahid, but this is again another erroneous remark.When the People’s Party (PN) was created, your party jumped at the chance to join the alliance in order to return to power.However, at a time when the government’s policies are misguided and failing horribly, Umno wishes to separate itself from them.That’s just nonsense.
Umno is also to be blamed for the collapse of this government in equal measure.IndigoTrout2522: It’s impossible, Zahid, to expect the public to not identify the catastrophic management of the epidemic with Umno’s policies.You can’t be that naïve, can you?″ A total of three of your Umno ministers are in complete command of the Covid-19 struggle.In addition to the Prime Minister, the three serves as the government’s public face in the fight against the epidemic.
It does not appear to be a positive situation right now.They have demonstrated that they are incompetent and incapable of dealing with the pandemic.The only other option is for you to remove them from the PN government as soon as possible, which you are authorized to do under the circumstances.Anak JB (anonymous): If Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the Coordinating Minister of the National Covid-19 Immunization Program Khairy Jamaluddin, and Health Minister Dr Adham Baba are not from Umno, then who are the ‘Air Suam Ministers’ that spoke to 500 nations and did not come from the party?Or have they jumped ship and joined Bersatu?Bobbyo: More than 2,000 individuals have died, half a million more have been infected, and the number is continually growing.
- Despite the fact that three Umno ministers are in charge of dealing with the Covid-19 situation, you claim that the party should not be held responsible for the failure of the PN administration.
- Who is it that you’re smoking, Zahid?
- The only thing you can say is ″don’t blame Umno″ when there are hundreds of thousands of unemployed people and counting, and millions of people in financial trouble.
- Who has been in charge of this country for the past 60 years?
- All of Umno’s top leaders.
- All of them were failures.
- Kita Orangbiasa (Kita Orangbiasa): Zahid, Ismail Sabri, and Khairy are all from Umno, as is Adham Baba, who is also from Umno.
- Umno is a component of the PN administration, and you are advising that the PN’s failure not be attributed to Umno.
- So where does the communal duty come into play?
Then your Umno MPs must step down immediately, which the majority of us believe is unlikely given your political history.Myviews: Disgusting.His party is a member of the government, and he claims that Umno is not to be blamed.In order to avoid being held responsible, your political party should be removed from power as soon as possible.
- Take your Umno ministers out of the Covid-19 action force, as soon as possible.
- Appum: Umno is a political party that supports the Sheraton Move, which seeks to depose a democratically elected government.
- Umno is a partner in the PN administration, and its leaders occupy positions in a number of departments.
- Adding insult to injury, it is the Ministers of Umno who are directly accountable for containing the Covid-19 outbreak.
- So, Umno wants to be a part of the government, it wants power and places, but it doesn’t want to be held accountable or have integrity when it comes to its actions?
- BlueMarlin1917: You made the decision to sleep with your partners the minute you overthrew a lawfully elected government, regardless of its flaws.
- As a result, do not assign responsibility to outside persons.
- When you choose to become a member of a new government, you accept responsibility for everything that occurs as a result of that decision.
- Mechi: This is typical Umno behavior: always passing the buck and never accepting responsibility and ownership of the situation.
- After more than six decades of mismanagement, the party is unable to deal with the Covid situation and is instead blaming others.
- BrownFalcon4984: Zahid, don’t believe the rakyat are a bunch of fools.
- The whole administration, including Umno ministers, bears responsibility for the mishandling of Covid-19.
- In order to avoid being held responsible, you should withdraw your support for the PN government and call on Umno ministers to quit.
Goliath: I don’t believe Covid-19 is the only very devastating virus Malaysia has ever had to deal with.When things go catastrophically wrong, we are faced with another another invisible virus that causes politicians to say really dumb things, to blame others for their failings, and to disclaim responsibility to the greatest extent possible.Unfortunately, I do not believe that there is a vaccination or a treatment available for this virus.The comments displayed above are a selection of those made by Malaysiakini subscribers.Comments may only be made by subscribers who have paid for the service.More than 100,000 comments have been written by Malaysiakinians in the last year.
Join the Malaysiakini community and contribute to the setting of the news agenda.Now is the time to subscribe.These comments have been collated to represent the opinions of Malaysiakini subscribers on a variety of topics of public concern.Malaysiakini does not aim to represent any of these viewpoints as factual information.
Here’s what ‘have your cake and eat it too’ really means
The INSIDER’s Executive Summary: It signifies that you will no longer be able to possess the cake after you have consumed it.When you turn the statement around, it makes more sense.Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the expression ″to each his own.″ It says something like this: ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, as well.″ It appears to be ridiculous, doesn’t it?
″Of course you can have your cake and eat it too!″ you could exclaim in response to the question.If you consume anything, you are obligated to consume it!It should function in the same manner as saying ″have a beer″ or ″have dinner″ would.Eating is a way of displaying one’s ownership over something.If you eat something, you are considered to have consumed it.
- ″You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,″ writes language historian Ben Zimmer in The New York Times Magazine, explaining that the phrase makes greater sense when the structure is reversed.
- In this instance, the verbs are arranged in a different order, and the meaning becomes more evident.
- Once you’ve had your cake, there is no more cake to consume.
- If you consume a cake, you are no longer permitted to retain possession of the cake after you have finished it.
- Consequently, the term is used to inform someone that they cannot have two wonderful things that generally go together at the same time, such as eating cake and then keeping the cake in your possession so that you may have it later.
- Now, the word ″have″ is used in both formal and informal contexts in the English language, and it now includes the sense of ″eat.″ According to Zimmer, the term ″have your cake and eat it, too″ is out of date, and it may be time to phase it out altogether.