What Does “take the cake” mean?
Definition:
The phrase take the cake is mainly an American idiom that means to be especially bad, outrageous, or objectionable.
The phrase dates back to the 5th century BC. In Aristophanes’ The Knights (c. 420 BCE) a line refers to a cake as a symbolic prize:
Example(s)
John: Have you seen how she lies about her ex-husband?
Nancy: I’ve seen a lot of liars, but she takes the cake
This idiom is in the food category.
