take the cake

1. To be the most outstanding; sometimes used in a derogatory sense: “When it comes to eating like a pig, Gordy really takes the cake.”

Idioms and Phrases

Be the most outstanding in some respect, either the best or the worst. For example, That advertising slogan really took the cake , or What a mess they made of the concert—that takes the cake! This expression alludes to a contest called a cakewalk , in which a cake is the prize. Its figurative use, for something either excellent or outrageously bad, dates from the 1880s.

Related Words

• conquer
• dominate
• flourish
• overcome
• overwhelm
• prevail
• prosper
• sweep
• thrive
• trounce
• win