[Idiom] icing on the cake

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The last World Cup we played in the sub-continent, it was a good mix of experienced and young guys. We would like to take it forward and that's what the motive is. Well, what's crucial is how they have been batting, both Rohit and Shikhar have been batting well. The icing on the cake would have been for them to finish things off. The wicket kept getting better, but still you need to go back and get those runs.'

I could'nt understand this phrase,could you please explain it?
 
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Roman55

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'The icing on the cake' is an idiom used to refer to something that makes something good even better.

I don't think the cricket example is a very good one, but the idea is that the two batsmen mentioned played very well (which is good), and if they had won (which would have been even better) that would have been the icing on the cake.
 
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'The icing on the cake' is an idiom used to refer to something that makes something good even better.

I don't think the cricket example is a very good one, but the idea is that the two batsmen mentioned played very well (which is good), and if they had won (which would have been even better) that would have been the icing on the cake.

I got it now.

What is the relation between ice and cake in this phrase?
 

Roman55

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It's not ice, but icing (also known as frosting).

It's the sugary coating that finishes off certain cakes and biscuits. Look here.
 

JMurray

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What is the relation between ice and cake in this phrase?

icing = definition #1: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/icing

The idea is that a cake is already a good thing and when you put icing on it, it's even better.

In some regions "icing" is known as "frosting".

P.S. Roman just beat me to it. I'll keep the post up for the dictionary link.
 
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