# eat one's cake and have it too

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/eat-ones-cake-and-have-it-too
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Alternative form of have one's cake and eat it too.

## Examples

- You cannot eat your cake and have it too.
- He wants to quit his job but keep the salary, but he cannot eat his cake and have it too.
- The politician promised both lower taxes and increased public spending, failing to realize that one cannot eat one's cake and have it too.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.