fruitcake
UK[ˈfruːtkeɪk]US[ˈfruːtkeɪk]
n
a rich cake containing dried or candied fruit, nuts, and spices.
n
(informal, chiefly north american) an eccentric or crazy person.
Morpheme Breakdown
fruit
cake
fruit
enjoyment, produce, fruit
cake
a baked flour confection
Etymology
the word 'fruitcake' is a transparent english compound, formed by directly combining two established nouns. 'fruit' entered english via old french from the latin 'fructus', which itself derives from the verb 'frui' (to enjoy), carrying the sense of the enjoyable produce of the earth. 'cake' is a common germanic word, with old english 'cēace' and old norse 'kaka' pointing to a shared proto-germanic ancestor. the compound logically describes a cake distinguished by its high content of fruit. the informal, derogatory sense for an eccentric person, attested from the early 20th century, employs the metaphor of a mind perceived as being chaotically "stuffed" with odd ideas, much like the cake is stuffed with fruit and nuts.
Analysis
Structure: fruit + cake
fruit (from latin 'fructus', meaning "enjoyment, produce, fruit") – the lexical root denoting the edible part of a plant.
cake (from old norse 'kaka', meaning "a baked flour confection") – the lexical root denoting a baked sweet food.
Examples
she baked a traditional christmas fruitcake soaked in brandy.
the old man down the street is a harmless but genuine fruitcake who claims to talk to pigeons.
the recipe calls for candied cherries and pecans to be folded into the fruitcake batter.