Idiom: "This takes the biscuit"

[Tom]

Hi

I would like to know how common the idiom "take a biscuit" is. Is it American idiom or British or both?

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

I don't know "take a biscuit" as an idiom. It sounds a bit like you are offering someone something to eat ("Take/Have a biscuit."). In the US, a biscuit is similar to a dinner roll -- similar to bread. biscuit

As far as I know, when the British talk about "biscuits", it is a reference to what we would call "cookies" or "crackers" in American English.

Possibly you were thinking of "take the biscuit". Apparently that is an idiom or slang in British English: http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/take+the+biscuit.html
This expression is not known or used in the US.

However, the idiom "take the cake" seems to be used in both BE and AmE. I found this little write-up with the help of Ms Google:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/take-the-cake.html
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

The expression I know is: That takes the biscuit and is used to show either surprise or irritation after something has happened as in:

Someone you know has just passed their exam and you didn't imagine they would and you might say:

Well, doesn't that just take the biscuit!

Likewise you have waited for an hour for a bus to arrive and then suddenly three arrive together, You would then show your irritation by saying: It's just typical - that really takes the biscuit!

Hope that elucidates.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a driving instructor

[Tom]

Many thanks, Amy and Alan

I would like to ask one other question--humor me please.

To Alan

Is "take the cake" used in the UK? Does it carry the same meaning as "take the biscuit"? Would any man walking down the street be able to get these idioms--I mean, are they fairly common?

Many thanks again

Tom

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

I think that 'take the biscuit' might be regarded as a little oldfashioned today. As for 'take the cake, all I can say is that I have never heard it before.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Phrasal Verbs/hold

[Yankee]

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Now that takes the cake as well as the biscuit.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English