The story
Compound of fruit + cake. First attested in c. 1687. Sense 2, predated by nutty as a fruitcake, was first attested in c. 1952.
First known use, by meaning
- from 1950s A crazy or eccentric person.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
fruitcake
Today it means: A cake containing dried fruits and, optionally, nuts, citrus peel and spice; usually served in celebration of weddings and Christmas. Full definition →
First used 1950s