In 2001, a James Briggs posted the following affirmation on The Phrase Finder (to be of no further use): have the biscuit (Canada) (to be particularly egregious): take the cake (US) Wiktionary: (idiomatic, Britain) To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious Macmillan: (British informal) to be the most silly, stupid, or annoying thing in a series of things ![]() Take the cake (especially American English) ![]() Longman: (British English informal) to be the most surprising, annoying etc thing you have ever heard Note, not one dictionary mentions that the idiom is derived or is also the name of a masturbation game played by teenage British boys, as unsupported answer claims.Ĭollins: If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the biscuit or that what they have done takes the biscuit, to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. In other words, the biscuit (or cake) is the prize. It's worth mentioning that the British idiom take the biscuit, and its American English equivalent take the cake, refer to the treat being awarded. The following definitions of the idiom, take the biscuit, come from a wide selection of dictionaries on the Internet. This is what British speakers usually think of when using the term biscuit, a type of plain “cookie” Note that a biscuit in the US is similar to a scone, a type of cake. Below is an image of the American dish, biscuits with gravy.
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