Simnel Cakes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Rich cakes formerly eaten (especially in Lancashire) on Mid-Lent Sunday ("Mothering Sunday"), Easter, and Christ- mas Day.
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 “Simnel Cakes” mean?
Rich cakes formerly eaten (especially in Lancashire) on Mid-Lent Sunday ("Mothering Sunday"), Easter, and Christ- mas Day.
Is “Simnel Cakes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.