Slang dictionary
cake by the ocean
[keyk bahy th uh oh-shuh n]
What does cake by the ocean mean?
Cake by the ocean is a euphemism for having sex at the beach. It comes from the title of the band DNCE’s 2015 debut single, “Cake by the Ocean.”
Where does cake by the ocean come from?
The phrase cake by the ocean originated from the title of the band DNCE’s 2015 debut single of the same name. A huge commercial success worldwide, the song reached the top ten in national record charts in multiple countries, including the United States, Israel, Japan, and Ecuador. The song’s music video didn’t do too bad either, reaching over 300 million views on YouTube.
In a 2015 interview with MTV, the band’s lead singer, Joe Jonas (of Jonas Brothers fame), explained that the name came from their Swedish producer repeatedly confusing the phrase sex on the beach with cake by the ocean.
Some speculated that the song was referencing the vodka-infused Sex on the Beach cocktail, but given lyrics like “See you licking frosting from your own hands,” “You’re a real-life fantasy,” and “Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life / Funfetti, I’m ready, I need it every night,” the public consensus was that cake by the ocean meant actually having sex at the beach.
Examples of cake by the ocean
Who uses cake by the ocean?
A year after the release of “Cake By the Ocean,” the phrase cake by the ocean saw a steep drop in usage on the internet. Nevertheless, it still pops up every so often on social media as a cheeky reference to having sex. Most instances of the phrase, though, are about the song.
not to be basic but i still really like cake by the ocean it’s an absolute BANGER
— örange (@alehra_) September 19, 2018
just want me some cake by the ocean if yall know what i mean ;) (DICK
— 🇸🇪June (@juniperhearts) September 11, 2018
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of cake by the ocean like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of cake by the ocean that will help our users expand their word mastery.