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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.

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“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 29 Nov. 2025.

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