This popular idiomatic proverb, which dates from the 16th century, means that you cannot enjoy two desirable things at the same time. It may also describe the dilemma faced when you want one thing very much, but you are not willing to give up other things in order to have it, that is, you cannot have all the benefits of a situation when, in fact, having one thing means not having the other.
This saying confuses many people because they mistakenly suppose the word “have” means “eat”. A more logical version of this saying is “You can’t eat your cake and have it too,” meaning that if you eat your cake you won’t have it any more.
Its meaning is similar to the phrases “you can’t have it both ways” and “you can’t have the best of both worlds.” In Spanish we would say something like “Sopas y sorber, no puede ser”
- “If you spent all your money on that expensive car, you could not come on holiday with us. You know, you can’t have your cake and eat it.”
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