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The icing on the cake

Posted by Smokey Stover on December 12, 2008 at 01:21

In Reply to: The icing on the cake posted by Kieran on December 05, 2008 at 11:48:

: WHEN did "icing on the cake" originate?

The Oxford English Dictionary cites an example from 1602 using "to ice" to mean to coat a cake or other pastry with a confection made of sugar. In the 18th century this confection was called icing. Not until the 20th century does the OED find examples of "the icing on the cake" used figuratively.

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