Dictionary

have one's cake and eat it too en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
   • It's not possible to get your savings and keep the piggy bank intact. You can't have your cake and eat it too!

Forms

Relateds

butter one's bread on both sides · suck and blow · run with the hare and hunt with the hounds · cakeism · have it both ways · best of both worlds

Translations (45)

pt ter sol na eira e chuva no nabal (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · ro și cu buzele unse, și cu slănina în pod (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · de auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzen (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es soplar y sorber, no puede ser (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · pt querer sol na eira e chuva no nabal (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · fa هم خدا را خواستن و هم خرما را (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · hi दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · th จับปลาสองมือ (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es tener el oro y el moro (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · ja 都合の良いことばかりを望んでいる (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · fr avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es estar a la vez en la procesión y repicando las campanas (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · sh имати јаре и паре (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · fi sekä syödä että säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi sekä syödä että säästää) (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · hu azt akarja, hogy a kecske is jóllakjon, és a káposzta is megmaradjon (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · pl albo rybka, albo pipka (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · fi syödä ja säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi syödä ja säästää) (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es querer el oro y el moro (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · cmn 又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草 /又要马儿好 (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · cy cadw torth a'i bwyta hi (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es nadar y tener la ropa (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · da man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munden (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · cmn 又要當婊子，又要立牌坊 /又要当婊子 (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · gd chan fhaodar a' bhò a reic 's a bainne òl (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · nl het is het een of het ander (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · is bæði sleppa og halda (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · sv ha sin kaka och äta den med (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · sh имати овце и новце (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · pl zjeść ciastko i mieć ciastko (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · fa هم خرو خواستن هم خرما (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · mt riedha ħobla u tredda’ (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · sh imati ovce i novce (i) (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · hi चित भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · is bæði halda og sleppa (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · de wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nass (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es estar en misa y repicando (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · is ekki verður bæði sleppt og haldið (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · it avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · ro și cu burta plină, și cu slănina în pod (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · gsw de Füfer u's Weggli ha (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · ga é a bheith i do phota agus i do mhála agat (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · es tener la torta y jamearla ansimismo (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · pl albo rybki, albo akwarium (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · sh imati jare i pare (i) (to have two things which are mutually incompatible) · gd cha dèan corrag mhilis ìm (to have two things which are mutually incompatible)