have one's cake and eat it too

idiom

variants or British have one's cake and eat it
: to have or enjoy the good parts of something without having or dealing with the bad parts
They seem to think they can have their cake and eat it too by having excellent schools for their son without paying high taxes.

Dictionary Entries Near have one's cake and eat it too

Cite this Entry

“Have one's cake and eat it too.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20one%27s%20cake%20and%20eat%20it%20too. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!