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
- 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!).
Talk about this word "the cake is a lie." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. 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 "the cake is a lie." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/the%20cake%20is%20a%20lie.Cite this
@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}
}