let them eat cake
Used to express a profound disconnect between the elite and the unprivileged or underprivileged, suggesting a callous indifference or detachment to their suffering.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The politician ignores the poor and basically says let them eat cake.”
“The wealthy landlord has a let them eat cake attitude toward his tenants.”
“When the CEO suggested that workers should just walk to work during the transit strike, his attitude was a classic case of let them eat cake.”
“Telling people to buy expensive electric cars when they cannot afford gas is a modern way to say let them eat cake.”
“The billionaire showed he was out of touch when he told the hungry crowd to let them eat cake by ordering organic salads.”
“The aristocrat’s dismissive response to the famine, which essentially told the starving masses to let them eat cake, ignited the fury of the revolution.”
Calque of French qu'ils mangent de la brioche. Incorrectly attributed to the last Queen of France prior to the French Revolution Marie Antoinette (1755–1793), the phrase actually originates from Confessions (Rousseau).
- 01
bite to eat
A snack or quick meal.
- 02
buy to let
To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it
- 03
cake and gingerbread
An easy or pleasant task or experience; a piece of cake.
- 04
cake crumbs
Hardly anything.
- 05
cake walk
Something extremely easy.
- 06
cakes and ale
The simple material pleasures of life.
- 07
don't let the door hit you on the way out
Used as a command to leave in haste, or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.
- 08
don't shit where you eat
One should not cause trouble in places, groups, or situations that one holds as important or necessary to one's happiness or well-being.
Last updated August 10, 2026