eat one's cake and have it, too

1. Also, have one's cake and eat it, too. Have a dual benefit, consume something and still possess it, as in Doug was engaged to Ann and still dating Jane; he was trying to eat his cake and have it, too. This metaphoric expression is often put negatively, as it already was in John Heywood's proverb collection of 1546: “You cannot eat your cake and have your cake.”

Example Sentences

One can not eat one's cake and have it too.

From Project Gutenberg

One cannot eat one's cake and have it too.

From Project Gutenberg