taken the gilt off the gingerbread

A form of take the gilt off the gingerbread — To take away the most attractive or appealing qualities of something; to destroy an illusion.

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Meanings

verb
  1. pastsimple past of take the gilt off the gingerbread
Cite this entry
APA

taken the gilt off the gingerbread. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20the%20gilt%20off%20the%20gingerbread

MLA

“taken the gilt off the gingerbread.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20the%20gilt%20off%20the%20gingerbread. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taken the gilt off the gingerbread,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20the%20gilt%20off%20the%20gingerbread.

Source: taken the gilt off the gingerbread on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.