You can't have your cake and eat it too

you cant enjoy what is yours. you can work or you can enjoy.

example:
you work really hard and finish a report, someone else takes credit.

or

you have a gorgeous girlfriend whom only others enjoy in bed.

you enjoy fishing and eating fish, you catch a fish, but your wife eats it.

she says "You can't have your cake and eat it too"

by geneva rain August 11, 2006

you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit

You can't make something from anything.

You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

by Majkl2 March 2, 2008

You can beat the miner, but you can't beat the gambler

A reference to how hard work can be outdone by luck in some instances, such as how a miner could work in the caves and a gambler could win more money than him in a casino.

person 1: Did you hear that Darragh fella won a free chicken roll last night?
person 2: Well, you know what they say, you can beat the miner, but you can't beat the gambler!

by aaaREDaaa June 14, 2023

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

Something that you say which means you can give someone the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to.

I made all the arrangements, bought the ticket, and even took him to the airport, but he just wouldn't get on the plane. Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

by brucelennon August 21, 2016

You can pay the barber, but you can't buy him breakfast.

17th century idiom.

A formal deductive logical device used in a debate that simultaneously agrees and disagrees with any proceeding statement or argument.

See also "It's a dog-eat-dog world, Winston Churchill said that."

A: Al you old son of a bitch, how you doing? how you feel about the Dolphins? That call last night was aweful.

B: As far as I see it, you can pay the barber, but you can't buy him breakfast.

by elip October 29, 2014

if you can't say anything nice, say something shitty.

When you are openly critical of someone's actions and are just being a dick.

James: Bob, you drive like a stoned flamingo.

Bob: at least you know if you can't say anything nice, say something shitty.

by dailybirdsandtrees August 4, 2011

Even though you're on a diet, doesn't mean that you can't look at the menu

Meaning that even though you already have a girlfriend doesn't mean that you can't date someone else.

Bob: Dude look at those hotties man!
Mike: But I already have a girlfriend
Bob: Even though you're on a diet, doesn't mean that you can't look at the menu.
Mike: Oh OK then.

by xXN00B_SAIB0T777Xx July 8, 2009