"You can't have your cake and eat it, too"

Posted by Scott Marsden on August 17, 2000

In Reply to: "You can't have your cake and eat it, too" posted by Nostromo on August 17, 2000

: I have found where this originates from (In fact, it was the other way around: You can't eat your cake and have it, too); but does anyone know the definitive answer as to the exact meaning, or intent, of the expression?

When given a choice between 2 mutually exclusive desireable things, you can't have them both. For instance, you can either eat a cake, or you can keep it for later, but you can't do both. Unless you only eat part of the cake, but that doesn't count.. ;)

• "You can't have your cake and eat it, too" Michael 08/17/00