wear two hats

[blacknomi]

"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?

[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.

[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.

[blacknomi]

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.

[blacknomi]

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?

[Red5]

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

[blacknomi]

I take my transparent hat off to Ed.

[Red5]

[Tdol]

I'm not Snow White, I'm Grumpy.

[blacknomi]

because too many hats?