English Explanatory Dictionary

take the cake

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb

Used as an affirmation or accolade when one is deemed the top position in a comparison or contest; to win or be the best (at).

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-take the cake.wav

Word forms

take the cake takes the cake taking the cake took the cake taken the cake

Etymology

Attested since circa 1870. Originally used in reference to the winners of cake walk competitions in black communities of the southern USA in the 19th and early 20th centuries, who were said to have "taken the cake", which was oftentimes the prize.

Synonyms

steal the show take the biscuit

← take the biscuit
← take the bitter with the sweet
← take the bread out of someone's mouth
← take the Browns to the Super Bowl
← take the bull by the horns

take the cash and let the credit go →
take the chair →
take the chill off →
take the Chiltern Hundreds →
take the cloth →

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

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