That takes the biscuit!
That's incredibly stupid!
TRANSLATION
That takes the biscuit! = Das ist wirklich der Gipfel! Das ist doch das Allerletzte! Das ist doch die Krönung!
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
“But the latest issue of the NYT may just TAKE THE BISCUIT. The front page carries a story on the many Brits who have apparently started to ‘stockpile for Brexit’. Apparently Brits are already getting rationing underway with one interviewee comparing the situation to WW2.”
The Spectator
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“When it comes to new designs for mobile phones, the model announced last week by a start-up based in Scottsdale, Arizona, really TAKES THE BISCUIT. Shaped like a bone, it operates only as a speakerphone, picks up automatically when called, is mounted on a red strap for wearing around the neck, and is labelled with a large paw—because the PetsCell, as it is called, is a mobile phone for dogs”
The Economist
Did you
know?
That takes the biscuit!
idiomatic phrase
- to be especially annoying, surprising, etc. or to be the worst or best of its kind
Cambridge Dictionary
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WORD ORIGIN
In the 19th century “take the biscuit” meant winning a prize or excelling at something; maybe from when childhood contest winners at local fairs or festivals received biscuits or cake.
These days, it’s usually applied in a more ironic or satirical way to describe something that is extremely annoying or stupid (or occasionally oppositely, something which is the very best).
Very good or very bad? How do we know which meaning is meant? Only from semantic context, body language, or tone of voice. Humans are still amazing,... it may take a while yet before General Artificial Intelligence can match us.
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SYNONYMS
That's unbelievably bad! That just adds insult to injury! That takes the cake! That tops it all! That's the best yet!
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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:
“I've seen some bad programs in my time, but this one really TAKES THE BISCUIT!”
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Thanks for today's word to Florian, in delightful decrepitude.
