johnny-cake

A family enjoys warm johnny-cakes with maple syrup for breakfast.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of flat bread or cake made from cornmeal (maize), typically fried or baked, and often associated with traditional American cuisine, especially in the Southern United States and among Indigenous peoples.

Usage Examples

• (A traditional cornmeal cake served as a morning meal.)
• (A basic bread substitute during westward expansion.)
• (A flat cornmeal cake cooked in a pan.)

Advanced Usage

• "johnny-cake" as a regional term: In Australia, "johnny-cake" can also refer to a type of bread made from wheat flour, often cooked in the ashes of a fire or on a griddle, though this usage is less common.

  • The bushmen baked johnny-cake over the campfire for a quick meal. (A simple flour-based bread cooked outdoors.)

• Historical context: Johnny-cake was a portable, non-perishable food for travelers and soldiers, and its name may derive from "journey cake" or from a Native American word.

  • During the Civil War, soldiers carried johnny-cake as part of their rations. (A durable food item for long journeys.)

Variants and Related Words

• Johnnycake (alternate spelling): The same word, often written as one word without a hyphen.

  • He prefers his johnnycake with a drizzle of honey. (A variant spelling of the same dish.)

• Cornpone (n): A similar Southern American bread or cake made from cornmeal, often baked or fried.

  • The cornpone was dense and crumbly, much like a johnny-cake. (A related cornmeal bread.)

Synonyms

• Cornbread: A broader term for bread made from cornmeal, though johnny-cake is typically flatter and less leavened.
• Hoecake: A thin, fried cornmeal cake, very similar to johnny-cake, often cooked on a hoe over a fire.
• Journey cake: A historical term for a portable cake eaten on journeys.

Related Idioms

• "As flat as a johnny-cake": A descriptive phrase meaning something is very flat or thin.

  • The tire was as flat as a johnny-cake after hitting the nail. (Extremely flat.)

• "To bake a johnny-cake": An idiom meaning to prepare a simple, rustic meal.

  • When camping, we just bake a johnny-cake and call it dinner. (To make a quick, uncomplicated dish.)