eat one’s cake and have it, too, to
eat one’s cake and have it, too, to - To have it both ways; to spend something and still possess it. This metaphor was a proverb as far back as the sixteenth century, included in John Heywood’s collection of 1546 (as “You cannot eat your cake and have your cake”) and has reappeared with great regularity ever since. As A. C. Benson aptly put it in From a College Window (1907), “There still remains the intensely human instinct . . . the desire to eat one’s cake and also to have it.”
📚 Also in the Mix:
- Trying to have your cake and eat it too: Another variation of our paradoxical phrase.
- Wanting the best of both worlds: Who doesn’t?
- Having the cat and the cream: Can’t let the cat run off with dessert!
💡 Synonyms and Antonyms
- Synonyms: Wanting it all, double-dipping, splitting the difference.
- Antonyms: Being satisfied with what you have, choosing one path, accept reality.
🎭🪟 The Medicine Man of Metaphors Says: “A paradox is only a reality waiting to be understood. And who can resist the sly temptation of cake?” — Cakeswell T. Cantpossbilyregret, Master of Confections
📖 Dive into Literature:
- Cupid and Psyche in “The Golden Ass” by Apuleius — A myth about desire and consequence.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — The ultimate story of wanting it all.
🎬 Entertain Your Brain:
- The Devil Wears Prada — Balance career and personal life, or face the Herculean feat of having both!
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Messing with duality, anyone?
Remember, life may be a paradox, but the trick is to savor the slice of cake you have. — Penny Proverbial
