HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT - Definition and synonyms of have one's cake and eat it in the English dictionary

WHAT DOES HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT MEAN IN ENGLISH?

You can't have your cake and eat it

You can't have your cake and eat it is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech. Many people misunderstand the meanings of "have" and "eat" as used here but still understand the proverb in its entirety and intent and use it in this form. Some people feel this form of the proverb is incorrect and illogical and instead prefer "you can't eat your cake and have it ", which is in fact closer to the original form of the proverb but very rare today. Other rare variants use "keep" instead of "have". "You can't have your cake and eat it too," is about consumption. Once eaten, the cake is gone. This analogy is often used to describe heavy spenders. Once the money has been spent, there may be nothing left to show for it. The proverb literally means "you cannot both possess your cake and eat it", once it has been eaten, you no longer have it "you cannot eat the cake and keep it" or "you can't eat the cake and have it still". It can be used to say that one cannot or should not have or want more than one deserves or can handle, or that one cannot or should not try to have two incompatible things.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT

have nothing to do with

have on

have on one´s back

have one foot in the grave

have one over the eight

have one´s back to the wall

have one´s blood up

have one´s feet on the ground

have one´s hands full

have one´s hands tied

have one´s head screwed on

have one´s heart in it

have one´s heart in one´s boots

have one´s heart in one´s mouth

have one´s heart in the right place

have one´s knife in someone

have one´s meat and one´s manners

have one´s work cut out

have other fish to fry

have out

WORDS THAT END LIKE HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT

throw one´s hat at it

you wouldn´t read about it

WORDS RELATING TO «HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT»

have one's cake and eat it cake makes many pops have with quotes three putlocker cupcakes script pier stand your popular idiomatic proverb figure speech people misunderstand meanings used here still understand entirety intent this idioms cliché possession something able exploit finnish results more translations suppose guess kudoz best worlds ways sequential choice jstor vide good reasons against doing however want disregard such cases consider pinterest explore tracy spahn hand picked collection pins christmas cakes birthday information from answers also dual benefit consume doug engaged dating jane collins spanish always official over words phrases check spelling grammar managing alien bioone benefits those allocated crab quotas

TRANSLATION OF HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT

Find out the translation of have one's cake and eat it to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of have one's cake and eat it from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «have one's cake and eat it» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

有一个人的鱼与熊掌兼得

1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

tener uno de oro y el moro

570 millions of speakers

English

have one´s cake and eat it

510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

एक केक है और इसे खा

380 millions of speakers

Translator English - Arabic

لدينا كعكة واحدة و أكله

280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

есть свое пирога и съесть его

278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

ter um bolo e comê-lo

270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

এক এর পিষ্টক এবং এটা খাওয়া

260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

avoir son gâteau et le manger

220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Mempunyai kek dan makan

190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

haben eigenen Kuchen essen und ihn

180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

自分のケーキを持って、それを食べる

130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

하나 의 케이크를 가지고 그것을 먹을

85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Duwe jajan siji lan mangan

85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Vietnamese

có bánh của một người và ăn nó

80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

ஒருவரின் கேக் மற்றும் சாப்பிட வேண்டும்

75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

एक केक आहे आणि ते खाणे

75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Bir kek var ve yemek

70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca

65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

mają własnego ciastko i zjeść ciastko

50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

є своє пирога і з´їсти його

40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

avea tort cuiva si sa o manance

30 millions of speakers

Translator English - Greek

έχουν πίτα ολόκληρη και τον σκύλο χορτάτο

15 millions of speakers

Translator English - Afrikaans

het ´n mens se koek en eet dit

14 millions of speakers

Translator English - Swedish

ha sin kaka och äta den

10 millions of speakers

Translator English - Norwegian

har ens pose og sekk

5 millions of speakers

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT»

The term «have one's cake and eat it» is normally little used and occupies the 120.606 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

100%

FREQUENCY

Little used

/100

The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «have one's cake and eat it» in the different countries.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of have one's cake and eat it

one cake mix makes how many cake pops

dictionary have one´s cake and eat it

the one with the cake quotes

three two one cake

one cake tin

the one with the cake putlocker

one cake mix makes how many cupcakes

have one´s cake and eat it definition

the one with the cake script

pier one cake stand

List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «have one's cake and eat it».

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT»

Discover the use of have one's cake and eat it in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to have one's cake and eat it and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Hegel-Arg Philosophers

What is wrong with wanting to have one's cake and eat it, for example, can only be that one cannot actually have one's cake and eat it. Similarly, thinking contradictory thoughts and asserting contradictory propositions is not intrinsically ...

M. J. Inwood, 2013

Hegel: Arguments of Philosophy

M.J. Inwood, 2013

Hegel

M. J. Inwood, 1983

Has Man a Future?: Dialogues with the Last Confucian

One cannot have one's cake and eat it too [getting the good results while avoiding the bad results]. In my view, your plan in the old days, and Mao's own, could be said to have tried to have the cake and eat it too. It tried to avoid the disastrous ...

Shu Ming Liang, Guy S. Alitto, 2013

Rajpal Dictionary Of English Idioms & Phrases

... who is suffering from asthma has now one foot in the grave Have one's cake and eat it: Benefit from both two quite opposite things * He wants to go to the movies without spending money little knowing that you cannot have your cake and eat ...

Shori, A K, 2010

Sugar and Spice... Exploring Food and Drink Idioms in English

... SIT ABOVE/BELOW THE SALT , KNOW WHICH SIDE ONE'S BREAD IS BUTTERED , KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG , HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT , HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH SOMEONE , GIVE SOMEONE THE ...

Laura Pinnavaia, 2010

The Price of Doubt

What then about wanting to have one's cake and eat it, in full awareness that it is logically impossible to do both? How can INCOHERENCE possibly accommodate that? We must distinguish between, on the one hand, simultaneously wanting ...

Nicholas Nathan, 2002

The Sterling Book of Idioms

They have decided to take over our company. to have one's cake and eat it too make a choice between one of two things and still want the benefit of both If he wants to be paid more, he'll have to accept more responsibility; he can 't have his ...

Gratian Vas, 2000

A Dictionary of Cliches

To have no dealings—to avoid association—with (persons, institutions): late C. 19–20. have one's cake and eat it, to , incorrect for to eat one's cake and have it ( i.e., still have it). To have it both ways: C. 19–20. From a proverb. have one's heart.

Eric Partridge, 2003

American Slang: Cultural Language Guide to Living in the USA

Have Can't have one's cake and eat it too: can't have both benefits. He pushes his employees to work harder and harder, but fails to give them any merit- related pay raises; well, he can't have his cake and eat it too. Have a crack at: See, ...

Joseph Melillo, Edward M. Melillo, 2004

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term have one's cake and eat it is used in the context of the following news items.

Frustrations mount as Pender budget talks continue

While it's nice to have one's cake and eat it too, Commissioner George Brown, District 3, said after public comments came to a close, that's a ... «StarNewsOnline.com, Jun 15»

Development vs religious sentiments: Government to use British-era …

... denote impossibility, but the union environment ministry may be about to show that it is sometimes possible to have one's cake and eat it too. «Economic Times, May 15»

Keep pragmatism as guiding principle

But when one can't have one's cake and eat it, pragmatism would point to the value of fiscal prudence and sustainability over the long term. «The Straits Times, Mar 15»

I'm a European Jew—and No, I'm Not Leaving

Can one have one's cake and eat it too? The only thing we Jews in Europe ask of you is to at least consider us, those who are staying put, with ... «The New Republic, Mar 15»

Alex Neve: In terrorism bills, the Canadian government goes …

There's an old adage about not being able to have one's cake and eat it too. But that's not how best to protect human rights. Alex Neve is the ... «Ottawa Citizen, Feb 15»

Fine line between state interference and protection

And then, lying behind this deeply felt desire to have one's cake and eat it too, to wander freely, untaxed and unhindered, through a world ... «The Independent, Feb 15»

BuzzFeed reveals its secrets to going viral, and its plans to win India

So, how does one have one's cake and eat it too? How do you keep Bollywood a priority, and also give enough play to an LGBT issue, which ... «Tech in Asia, Feb 15»

Is Your Portfolio Ready for Stock Market 2015?

Differently said, is it possible to have one's cake and eat it too? In some ways, the answer is yes, but there's a cost. And once the cost is taken ... «The Market Oracle, Jan 15»

Harry?s Daddy, and Diana?s ?Murder?: Royal Rumors In a New Play

It all sounds like a mission to both have one's cake and eat it, but audiences will get to decide for themselves—very literally as the play features ... «Daily Beast, Jan 15»

What it takes to become independent

At the heart of these objections lies a desire to have one's cake and eat it too: I want to be called 'independent' but I won't change my business ... «ifa, Oct 14»

Meaning of "have one's cake and eat it" in the English dictionary

PRONUNCIATION OF HAVE ONE'S CAKE AND EAT IT