Be the most outstanding in some respect, either the best or the worst. For example, That advertising slogan really took the cake, or What a mess they made of the concert--that takes the cake! This expression alludes to a contest called a cakewalk, in which a cake is the prize. Its figurative use, for something either excellent or outrageously bad, dates from the 1880s.
take the cake
| Idioms: take the cake |
| WordNet: take the cake |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The verb has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
rank first; used often in a negative context
Learn More
 | Florence and Eric Take the Cake: Reading Rainbow (TV Episode) (1989 Children's/Family TV Episode) |
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Copyrights:
 |
 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Florence and Eric Take the Cake: Reading Rainbow (TV Episode) (1989 Children's/Family TV Episode)
- rap someone's knuckles (Idiom)
- Rye Coalition/Karp [Split Single] (1997 Album by Rye Coalition/Karp)
- Solo, Vol. 1 (1996 Album by John Bunch)
- Urlicht/Primal Light (1997 Album by Uri Caine)
- Disco Damaged: Pumped Up Funk for Harder Generations (2001 Album by Eddie Halliwell & Paul James)
- Jazz Is a Fleeting Moment (1974 Album by Jimmy Rowles)
- The Last Supper (2001 Album by Belphegor)
- Outside Looking Out (1980 Album by Col. Bruce Hampton & The Late Bronze Age)
- One of Us (2005 Album by Joan Osborne)
- Let Paul Robeson Sing (2002 Album by Joe McPhee)
- Outside Looking Out [Bonus Tracks] (2002 Album by Col. Bruce Hampton)
- Suite for Trio + (2005 Album by Jean Luc Cappozzo)
- Tales from Dirt Town (2007 Album by Bobaflex)
