UT4: T&L or CPU

[Natoma]

You can't have your cake and eat it.

You know, I never did understand the etymology of this idiom. I mean, why can't you have your cake and eat it too? That would be a pretty useless cake now wouldn't it?

 

[demalion]

I've always thought of it as "you can't eat all your cake and still have cake to eat later". I could write a fair bit on why I think it communicates that, but I think I'll refrain.

 

[Natoma]

No by all means type away.

 

[VtC]

I've always thought of it as "you can't eat all your cake and still have cake to eat later". I could write a fair bit on why I think it communicates that, but I think I'll refrain.

Venturing further off topic, I've always thought it meant "You can't have your pretty cake to look at and eat it, too." Cakes back in the day were fairly ornate.