Matapan Stew
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A meal concocted of left-overs, and so called from the fact that the cooks of H.M.A.S. Perth served a scratch hot meal during the Battle of Matapan, March 28th, 1941.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Matapan Stew” mean?
A meal concocted of left-overs, and so called from the fact that the cooks of H.M.A.S. Perth served a scratch hot meal during the Battle of Matapan, March 28th, 1941.
Is “Matapan Stew” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.