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No more cakes and ale?

What's the meaning of the phrase 'No more cakes and ale?'?

Cakes and ale are synonymous with the good life, like beer and skittles.

What's the origin of the phrase 'No more cakes and ale?'?

The word cake is often used as as a metaphor for ‘a good thing’ – as in ‘take the cake’ for example. The first use of cakes and ale with that allusion is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 1602:

SIR TOBY BELCH:
Out o’ tune, sir: ye lie. Art any more than a steward? Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
No more cakes and ale?

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