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27-Jan-2005, 17:12
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| |  wear two hats
"One thing at a time,please. I can't wear two hats at one time."
Is that idiom commonly used? Can I say I can't have the cake and eat it? |
27-Jan-2005, 19:30
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| | Re: wear two hats
I don't know how commonly it is used, but it certainly is commonly understood. For example, a person may have two roles within a company. In certain situations, he might take off one hat and put on another. That means he changes roles. (He might not actually be wearing a hat.)
As far as I know, the expression is always stated in the second person: "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The "you" in that sentence is not directed to anybody in particular.  |
28-Jan-2005, 01:02
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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| | Re: wear two hats
I don't think it means the same- 'you can't have your cake and eat it' is different. It is used when someone wants to have something both ways to their advantage.  |
28-Jan-2005, 05:51
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| | Re: wear two hats
Quote: |
Originally Posted by RonBee I don't know how commonly it is used, but it certainly is commonly understood. For example, a person may have two roles within a company. In certain situations, he might take off one hat and put on another. That means he changes roles. (He might not actually be wearing a hat.)
As far as I know, the expression is always stated in the second person: "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The "you" in that sentence is not directed to anybody in particular. | If I were "you", I would like to have the cake and eat it. In Chinese, we say you can't have fish and bear paw at one time. |
28-Jan-2005, 05:53
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| | Re: wear two hats
Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I don't think it means the same- 'you can't have your cake and eat it' is different. It is used when someone wants to have something both ways to their advantage. | I see. Would you think of other similar ones, Snow White? |
28-Jan-2005, 07:56
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| |  Re: wear two hats
The idea of putting on different hats when you take on different roles comes from Edward de Bono. See also: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_07.htm |
28-Jan-2005, 14:20
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| | Re: wear two hats
I take my transparent hat off to Ed.  |
28-Jan-2005, 15:38
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| | Re: wear two hats
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29-Jan-2005, 03:47
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| | Re: wear two hats
I'm not Snow White, I'm Grumpy. |
29-Jan-2005, 05:54
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| | Re: wear two hats
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