1. The proverb literally means "you cannot simultaneously retain your cake and eat it". Once the cake is eaten, it is gone. It can be used to say that one cannot or should not have or want more than one deserves or is reasonable, or that one cannot or should not try to have two incompatible things.(wikipedia)

예를들어 운동안하고 먹을 것 다 먹으면서 빨래판 복근을 가질 수 없는 것처럼, 케익을 먹은 상태와 케익을 소유하고 있는 상태가 공존할수 없음을 나타낸 표현입니다(먹으면 없어지잖아…). 한국어로 “다 가질 수 없다” 정도로 해석하시면 됩니다.

이 표현은 tradeoff 가 발생하는 상황에서 자주 쓰이는데요..trade off 는 인생의 모든 곳에서 발생하죠?

예를들어 DET 포스트를 오타없고, 내용 및 구성 퍼펙트하게 쓰려면 시간이 많이 걸립니다.

그러나 그럴려면 자주 못보냅니다. Well I cannot have my cake and eat it, right?

또 좋은 남편이 되고 싶은데, 그럴려면 아내와 시간을 많이 보내야합니다.

소셜라이프 다 하면서 놀 거 다 놀면서 그렇게 못해요. I cannot have my cake and eat it!

보통 처음 이 표현을 접할 때 ‘어라, 케익을 가지고 있는데 왜 못먹지’ 라고 잘못 해석해서 그런데요, 괜찮습니다 저도 처음에 그랬습니다. 그냥 웃긴 관용어다 라고 생각하시길.

Wikipedia 에서 나온 것처럼 ‘once eaten, keeping possession of the cake is no longer possible’ 로 이해하시면 좋을 것 같습니다.

• Let me add this: the good people of Northfork will be able to have their cake and eat it, too.(Northfork)
• You get very independent when you live alone. You get to be a real individual. - You can’t have your cake and eat it too in life.(Grey Gardens)
• But she said when I get into Harvard, she’ll buy me a cake. And when I graduate, she’ll let me eat it! It’s like that saying, “You can have your cake and eat it, too,” after four years of college.(Bunk'd)

• But with the aid of a computer cranking out a set of hefty equations, Bose literally figured out ways to have cake and eat it too (NYT)
• The senator from Texas assures his acolytes that everyone can have cake and eat it too (economist)
• In fact, she thinks she’s among those lucky ones who have cake and eat it too (NYT)

• Yeah, you just want your cake and to eat it, too.

• Is it a slang? no.
• Can I use it in a formal setting? yes.

1. cake 는 단수입니다.
• You cannot have your cakes and eat it (X)
• You cannot have your cake and eat them (X)
• You cannot have your cake and eat it (O)
2. 보통 소유격 Your 가 붙습니다. 남한테 조언할 때 하는말이라 그런 것 같습니다. “네 " 케익 말이야.. 네 케익..
• You cannot have cake and eat it (X)
• You cannot have THE cake and eat it (X)
• You cannot have A cake and eat it (X)
• You cannot have YOUR and eat it (O)
3. 뒤에 too 가 붙어도 되고 생략해도 됩니다.
• You cannot have your cake and eat it (O)
• You cannot have your cake and eat it, too (O)