Idiom – Icing On The Cake

Icing On The Cake – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

An alluring but not so useful an addition.

History:

It is still in debate whether this idiom should be used in a positive or negative manner. Icing on the cake is an extra addition because people can enjoy the cake even without it. In the period between 1837 and 1901, costly sugar was needed to prepare white icing. So only the wealthier sections of the society were able to afford it. Regarding the word “ icing”: History dates back to 1494 when frosted Marchpanes had some almond and sugar toppings on them. Nearly, 200 years later cake recipes were published which had icing on them.

Idiom scenarios:

Scenario 1:

Friend 1: How was the wedding?
Friend 2: Royal.
Friend 1: I heard that the bride wore the costliest gown in the market.
Friend 2: Yes. The icing on the cake was that she complimented it with expensive platinum jewellery.

Scenario 2:

Friend 1: I heard that there was a burglary in the apartment AC1 and they lost all their valuables.
Friend 2: Yes. The icing on the cake was that the walls were damaged and the windows were also broken.

Examples:

Go through the examples to understand the usage of the idiom:

1. The book fair was very good. The icing on the cake is that they had also invited the famous author of the book “ ABC” for the inauguration.
2. The palace is in ruins. The icing on the cake is that the local people think it is haunted.
3. The new project has the best people in it. The icing on the cake is that Ken had been appointed as their manager.