"Take the cake", an English lesson
By moirai
@moirai (2948)
Philippines
June 16, 2018 9:52pm CST
So... I was going to write a post. It's still there in my Keep in draft form. But as I was writing it, I wanted to describe something I really like, a favorite, and I was going to use the phrase 'takes the cake' because, you know, it's right there at the top of my list, the winner in my book. 
Good thing, though, being a non-native English speaker, I have this habit of looking up words and phrases I want to use in the dictionary or in google.
It turns out that the phrase 'take the cake' has evolved into the negative and is now meant to describe something really, really, really, really, really bad. 
Why? Doesn't anybody like cake? I like cake. 
Anyway, good thing I looked that up. 
Native English speakers, do you really only use this phrase for something negative? Do you remember it being ever used for something positive?
Non-native English speakers, if you heard just the phrase 'take the cake', would you have thought it to mean something really good or something really bad?
Edited to add:
Good thing, though, being a non-native English speaker, I have this habit of looking up words and phrases I want to use in the dictionary or in google.
It turns out that the phrase 'take the cake' has evolved into the negative and is now meant to describe something really, really, really, really, really bad.
Why? Doesn't anybody like cake? I like cake.
Anyway, good thing I looked that up.
Native English speakers, do you really only use this phrase for something negative? Do you remember it being ever used for something positive?
Non-native English speakers, if you heard just the phrase 'take the cake', would you have thought it to mean something really good or something really bad?
Edited to add:
Definition of take the cake in the Idioms Dictionary by The Free Dictionary
1 person likes this
3 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Jun 18
I've heard it as "that takes the cake". To me it's not a phrase that is necessarily negative but one that expresses a person's frustrations or annoyances.
I'm trying to think of a example of when I'd use the phrase but it's just one of those phrases that are spur of the moment.
I'm a native English speaker and even I will look up phrases to make sure it means what I think (or remember) it means.
1 person likes this
@moirai (2948)
• Philippines
17 Jun 18
I see. So it looks like it still leans towards something negative if it's in relation to frustrations and annoyances.
I imagined it to be something positive because cake. 
Hehe.
But then again, English (and its slang) can be confusing to me sometimes.
For instance, this past year or so maybe, I would hear people on the internet (probably mostly YouTube) describing something as "it's the s**t!", and I have to listen to the whole context just to figure out if they're saying they like it or not because to me something s**t certainly sounds like something bad, and some people mean it that way, but there are also others who use it to describe something they really, really liked.
Hehe.
But then again, English (and its slang) can be confusing to me sometimes.
For instance, this past year or so maybe, I would hear people on the internet (probably mostly YouTube) describing something as "it's the s**t!", and I have to listen to the whole context just to figure out if they're saying they like it or not because to me something s**t certainly sounds like something bad, and some people mean it that way, but there are also others who use it to describe something they really, really liked. 1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Jun 18
@moirai "It's the sh!t" usually does mean something good. It's funny because "It's sh!tty" means something bad or horrible.
English is definitely a confusing language. It's all in context.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Jun 18
@moirai I used to say "It's the bomb" or "it's the bomb diggity" in the early 90's.
"It bombed." usually means that it flopped, or crashed. Essentially, that it decreased in popularity.
It's the bomb" or "bomb diggity" means it's cool.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
17 Jun 18
i've always known "take the cake" to mean similar to "icing on the cake" but the effect or result is ironic. like a murphy's law kind of day that kept devolving with one final event happening or person doing something.
1 person likes this
@moirai (2948)
• Philippines
17 Jun 18
Hmm... are you saying that 'take the cake' and 'icing on the cake' are similar to each other but on opposite ends of the spectrum?
Because this ( ) says that 'icing on the cake' is "An additional benefit or positive aspect to something that is already considered positive or beneficial." So, definitely something positive, while 'take the cake' is more negative, or ironic, as you say.
I guess, if I want to remember the difference, I can think of it this way:
- putting 'icing on the cake' is making the cake look nicer, while
- 'taking the cake' is like someone depriving me of the cake. 
Also, adding a link to the original post above which shows that I am rightly confused by the phrase 'take the cake' because their definitions #1 & 2 are complete opposites! 
Also, adding a link to the original post above which shows that I am rightly confused by the phrase 'take the cake' because their definitions #1 & 2 are complete opposites! 
Definition of icing on the cake in the Idioms Dictionary by The Free Dictionary
