French
Noun
le beurre et l'argent du beurre m (uncountable)
- (idiomatic) Two mutually exclusive things, such that one can only choose one over another; having one's cake and eating it too.
- Tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre.
- You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Usage notes
- 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.