Why do they say "you can't have your cake and eat it"?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Trish P
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Trish P

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I do understand what the phrase is used for, to indicate to people that they can't have something both ways, but just reading it logically it doesn't sound right. Surely you would have to have a piece of cake to be able to eat it, which means you can have something both ways. Any theories out there?
 
To have one's cake and eat it too or simply have one's cake and eat it (sometimes eat one's cake and have it too) is the instance of an individual consuming, exhausting, taking advantage of or using up a particular thing and, then, after that thing is gone or no longer reasonably available, still attempting to benefit from or use it. It may also indicate having or wanting more than one can handle or deserve, or trying to have two incompatible things. It is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech and is most often used negatively. The proverb's meaning is similar to the phrases, "you can't have it both ways" and "you can't have the best of both worlds."

As an example, an individual who is engaged to marry someone but is still dating others romantically would be said to be having one's cake and eating it too.
 
Well yeah when people say you cant have your cake and eat it them mean the situation is not exactly as easy as having your cake and eating it for example if you like someone you cant just expect to make a move and then they'll like you back just because you like them...basically you cant have your cake and eat it means...you cant just do what you want,when you want.
 
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