fruitcake
fruitcake Lexical Profile
fruitcake Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A heavy, spiced cake containing candied or dried fruit and nuts, often soaked in spirits and traditionally served during the holiday season.
"Every December, my grandmother spends days baking and soaking her famous rum fruitcake to give out as gifts."
An eccentric, foolish, or mentally unstable person.
"He started yelling at the streetlamp, cementing his reputation as the neighborhood fruitcake."
Word Nuance & Usage
While primarily denoting a traditional holiday baked good, 'fruitcake' is frequently used in informal contexts as a derogatory slang term for an eccentric, irrational, or mentally unstable person.
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'fruit' and 'cake', first recorded in the mid-19th century. The slang meaning 'eccentric or crazy person' emerged in the early 20th century, derived from the popular idiom 'nutty as a fruitcake' (referencing the heavy inclusion of nuts in the recipe).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.