Who took the cake?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> - <span word="Who">Who</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="BCC">BCC</span> <span word="competition">competition</span> – <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="winner">winner</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="competition">competition</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="there">there</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="cake">cake</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="awarded">awarded</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="event">event</span>.</p><p><span word="Whoever">Whoever</span> “<span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="won">won</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="BBC">BBC</span> <span word="competition">competition</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="all">all</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="explain">explain</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Take">Take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="whose">whose</span> <span word="origin">origin</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="plantation">plantation</span>-<span word="era">era</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="South">South</span>. “<span word="Cake">Cake</span>” <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="cakewalk">cakewalk</span>”, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dance">dance</span> <span word="performed">performed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="slack">slack</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mood">mood</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="entertain">entertain</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="owners">owners</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="called">called</span> “<span word="walk">walk</span>” <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> “<span word="dance">dance</span>” <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="presumably">presumably</span>, “<span word="walk">walk</span>” <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="awkward">awkward</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hence">hence</span> <span word="inferior">inferior</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="dance">dance</span>”, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="elegant">elegant</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="monopolized">monopolized</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="folks">folks</span>. <span word="Indeed">Indeed</span>, “<span word="cakewalk">cakewalk</span>” <span word="was">was</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="direct">direct</span> <span word="copy">copy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dancing">dancing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ballroom">ballroom</span> – <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="master">master</span> <span word="couples">couples</span> <span word="swoon">swoon</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="imitate">imitate</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="moves">moves</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="these">these</span> <span word="imitations">imitations</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="awkward">awkward</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="eventually">eventually</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="shone">shone</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="their">their</span> “<span word="walk">walk</span>”.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="when">when</span> “<span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="came">came</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="play">play</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dancing">dancing</span> <span word="party">party</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slave">slave</span> <span word="owner">owner</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="awarded">awarded</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cake">cake</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="couple">couple</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="walk">walk</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="winning">winning</span> <span word="couple">couple</span> <span word="hence">hence</span>, <span word="literally">literally</span>, “<span word="took">took</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>”.</p><p><span word="Overtime">Overtime</span>, “<span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="became">became</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bunch">bunch</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="sarcastically">sarcastically</span> <span word="today">today</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="express">express</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="surprised">surprised</span>, <span word="incredulous">incredulous</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="amazed">amazed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="performance">performance</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="something">something</span> “<span word="really">really</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cake">cake</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>.</p>
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