have one's cake and eat it too

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[edit] English

[edit] Verb

to have one’s cake and eat it too

  1. (idiomatic) To seek to have two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
    Do you seriously want to break up with her and still have sex with her? You can't have your cake and eat it too!

[edit] Usage notes

  • This expression is found almost exclusively in some form of the saying or proverb:
    You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

[edit] Translations