le beurre et l'argent du beurre

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French

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Literally, the butter and the money from [selling] the butter.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /lə bœ.ʁ‿e l‿aʁ.ʒɑ̃ dy bœʁ/

Noun

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le beurre et l’argent du beurre m (uncountable)

  1. two mutually exclusive things, such that one can only choose one over another
    Tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre.You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Usage notes

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While the French expression is used mostly with avoir and vouloir, a variety of construction with verbs such as obtenir or garder are possible, unlike in English.

See also

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