the cake is a lie

English

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the cake is a lie

Where it comes from

From the video game Portal (2007), in which a self-aware computer, GLaDOS, lures the player into participating in dangerous experiments with the promise of a cake. As the game progresses, the player discovers graffiti left by the only previous test subject to survive GLaDOS' murderous scheme, including the warning the cake is a lie.

phrase

  1. Internet The end being pursued is unattainable or misguided; the reward promised is false. The jokes are cake, and the cake is a lie — fan-service tricking nerds into watching a show designed for adults who vote Republican (Middle America!).

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MLA

"the cake is a lie." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

the cake is a lie. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie

Chicago

"the cake is a lie." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie.

BibTeX
@misc{the_cake_is_a_lie_2026,
  title = {the cake is a lie},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}