Can't figure out the pun. Help.

[yankeesfan]

"Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly; but when they lit a fire in the craft, it sank, proving that you can't have your kayak and heat it too."

This is bothering it. Should be pretty obvious.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

It's along the lines of "can't have your cake and eat it too"

 

[yankeesfan]

I had never heard that saying before your response.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I had never heard that saying before your response.

There are a lot of saying I haven't heard of, but I have a feeling this one is pretty common.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_one%27s_cake_and_eat_it_too

I even remember there's at least one thread on the forum directly asking about its meaning.

EDIT:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=1371106
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=160597

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The 'common sayings' of my parents generation and mine are totally missing from the current generations. This is one of the most noticeable effects of the intarweb.

It doesn't bother me that young people have never heard them, it bothers me that the concepts appear to be lacking as well. I know I'm a geezer but, this wasn't meant to be a 'get off my lawn' post.

 

[dighn]

I never quite understood that saying. When I have my cake I always eat it

 

[BoomerD]

I had never heard that saying before your response.

Is English not your native language? Are you an immigrant to the USA?

This is actually a very common idiom that supposedly dates back to the 1500's.

I never quite understood that saying. When I have my cake I always eat it

But once you've eaten your cake...you don't have it anymore.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I never quite understood that saying. When I have my cake I always eat it

If you already ate it, you no longer have it. You can't simultaneously benefit from having the cake in your possession and also benefit from having consumed it. You can't have it both ways, so you must choose.

I'm sure the wiki entry explains it better and there are a couple threads that I linked to above that hopefully aren't just full of "the cake is a lie" posts.

 

[Fritzo]

I never quite understood that saying. When I have my cake I always eat it

It means "You can't hold on to something precious and waste it at the same time." For instance, if someone wants to be rich, but wastes their money constantly buying expensive items, and then complains that they are always broke, you would tell them "You can't have your cake and eat it too."

 

[dighn]

Thanks that makes perfect sense. I'd always considered "have" and "eat" to be in sequence.

 

[Kyle]

I feel dumber after reading this thread.

 

[ChanHo78]

what if I eat half the cake and save the rest?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

what if I eat half the cake and save the rest?

The cake is a lie.

 

[olds]

that's a pun?

 

[Kadarin]

The 'common sayings' of my parents generation and mine are totally missing from the current generations. This is one of the most noticeable effects of the intarweb.

It doesn't bother me that young people have never heard them, it bothers me that the concepts appear to be lacking as well. I know I'm a geezer but, this wasn't meant to be a 'get off my lawn' post.

I have noticed this as well. It's a weird effect, and makes us older folks think that the younger generation is somehow stupid for not knowing that which is obvious to us. Reality, however, is that the minds of those in the younger generation are filled with entirely different concepts. Mostly worthless shit from 4chan, but different concepts nonetheless.

 

[ChanHo78]

I have noticed this as well. It's a weird effect, and makes us older folks think that the younger generation is somehow stupid for not knowing that which is obvious to us. Reality, however, is that the minds of those in the younger generation are filled with entirely different concepts. Mostly worthless shit from 4chan, but different concepts nonetheless.

oldfag...

 

[olds]

oldfag...

If you are going to make a pass at him, take it to PM.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Get off my lawn.

 

[Zepper]

what if I eat half the cake and save the rest?

Well then, after you've eaten half, you no longer have all your cake left to eat. It might make more sense if you think of the "cake" as a savings account. You can either have your savings or you can spend some of it. Basically just another way of saying: "You can't have it both ways." Have to choose which is in your best interest. Of course, if the item in question really is cake (of the sweet treat variety) then you can't wait too long to eat it or one of your options will have passed due to spoilage.

.bh.

 

[IronWing]

what if I eat half the cake and save the rest?

Is the cake safe half full or half empty?

If you toss the cake into a black hole can you slice it into even pieces as it passes the event horizon?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

If a cake falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

 

[IronWing]

If a cake falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

Which forest? If the Black Forest then I have a witty retort!