People only just learning what ‘having your cake and eating it’ means

Most of us have heard the phrase 'having your cake and eat it' a million times, but have you ever wondered what it actually means?

You might have heard it on the likes of Love Island, to describe a contestant who wants to carry on 'getting to know' other people, despite being happy and seemingly loved-up in their couple.

Essentially, it's used to describe someone who wants the best of both worlds, but people on Reddit are having trouble getting their heads around what that's got to do with cake.

In a post on Reddit, one user asked: "What exactly is 'have your cake and eat it too' referencing? Like I get the entire meaning. You can’t have to contradictory things or you can do something and not expect the obvious consequence.

You can't have your cake and eat it too (Getty Stock Photo)

"But like, if I HAVE a piece of cake. It’s MY cake right? So it makes sense that I would be able to eat it?

"I mean I guess if someone else made it and I ate it would be their cake which I am eating. But like, I could make my own cake? The phrase isn’t 'have someone make you a cake and eat it too.' It’s also like, if I make a cake am I not allowed to eat it?

"Am I stupid or is there something I’m just missing here."

People were quick to explain what it means, revealing that if you have your cake, then it will be gone, so you can no longer eat it.

One wrote: "You are allowed to eat your cake. That's not what the saying is about. Just, once you eat it, you won't have it anymore. That's the consequence of eating it."

While another said: "OHHH so it’s more like 'you can’t eat your cake and have it too (afterwards)' but obviously more catchy."

And a third added: "You are not alone. I struggled with this phrase for longer than I'd like to admit. If I have my cake, I can eat it, right?

"Yes. But if you eat it you don't have it anymore. I think the phrase should be the other way round - you can't eat your cake and have it."

Some people were left confused by the phrase (Getty Stock Photo)

Interestingly, the phrase actually has a long history and originally was known as 'you can't eat your cake and have it too' which does make more sense.

According to Politico, the Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs dates the phrase back to 1546, in a note from John Heywood that said 'Wolde ye bothe eate your cake, and haue your cake?'

It was later seen in Jonathan Swift's Polite Conversation in 1738, in which Lady Answerall said she 'cannot eat her cake and have her cake.'