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It means you must make a choice, even if it is difficult. Say you've been served a piece of your favorite food. You can keep it, stare at it, put it in the freezer, whatever--or you can eat it. But once you've eaten it, you can't keep it anymore--it's gone. But if you keep it, you can't eat it. Assuming she's not talking about actual food, she's asking you to give up something. For example, I can't have an exclusive relationship with my wife and date someone on the weekends.
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∙ 13y ago
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∙ 14y ago"You cannot have your cake and eat it too" means that you can't have something both ways. The phrase was originally worded "You can't eat your cake and have it too." For example, if you have a piece of cake you can't eat it and still have it at the same time.
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∙ 15y agoReverse it. You can't have your cake and eat it too, -or- you can have your cake and eat it too, whichever fits the situation.
ANSWER: Most people reverse this saying when using it. "You can't have your cake and eat it too." But this is false. The only way anyone can eat their cake is by having it, and so everybody who eats cake has their cake and eats it to. The way you phrased it, is of course, correct. The false assertion does not fit any situation. Your assertion fits those situations where people regret their decisions and actions and pine for a return to the way things were.
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∙ 16y agoI read it first in William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair.
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∙ 11y agoAn early reference suggests it was used in a letter from the Duke of Norfolk to Thomas Cromwell in 1538. There are similar phrases in many other world languages
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∙ 14y agoThis is an old English saying, first recorded in 1546 as "wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?"
See the Related Link.
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∙ 13y agoYou can't have your cake and eat it too. Meaning, you just can't have your cake AND eat it too. Also, you can't eat your cake and have it too. Hope this helps!
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∙ 10y agoIt means you can't have the best of both worlds.
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∙ 10y agoThe phrase 'you can't have your cake and eat it too' is of English origin.
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You cannot eat your cake and have your cake?
The correct phrase here is that "you cannot have your cake and eat it, too".
Why would someone have cake if they cant eat it too?
So that they can eat it later.
What cake slogans are there?
Have your cake and eat it too.
Is this a saying you cant have cake if you have a ear ache?
You were probably referring to the saying "you can't have cake and eat it too" meaning one cannot have more than one deserves or can handle at one time.
What does you can't have your cake and eat it too?
The expression, 'You can't have your cake and eat it too.' means that if you want to eat your cake, you will no longer have it. It's usually used to admonish someone who is fretting because they can't have everything they want.
Can you have a cake?
yes, but you can't eat it too.
If you have half of the chocolate cake and then eat it how much chocolate cake do you have left?
If you have half of something and you eat that half you have none; don't forget, "You can't have your cake and eat it too."
Have cake and eat it?
Eat it too-meaning have it all. It's an expression.
What does the saying you cant have your kayak and heat it too mean?
i think you got the saying wrong. It is the punch line of a joke. A play on words for the phrase "You can't have your cake and eat it".
How do you get your sixpack back?
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
What happens to the body if you have too little or too much of Vitamin C?
you eat cake
Can you have your cake and eat it too?
It depends on what type of cake, where you got it, was it meant for you? Would someone else benefit from eating the cake? If you find yourself having your cake and eating it too, you may be taking advantage of someone else, this can have negative consequences for you in the future. The only way to have your cake and eat it too is to share some of it with whom ever is relevant to the cake. That way they get cake and you have obtained your objective without taking advantage or being selfish. D.J. Newville
