Meanings
plural johnnycakes · alternative jonnycake · alternative jonny cake · alternative johnny cake
- USA dense, baked or fried flatbread made of cornmeal.
So he went away on his journey; and after he had travelled a far way, he met with an old woman that asked him if he would give her a bit of his johnny-cake.
1890, Joseph Jacobs, “The Red Ettin”, in English Fairy Tales, page 1351 more example
Next mornin' I was up early and when the banker turned out I was fryin' a couple of slices of the pork and had some coffee b'ilin'. Likewise there was a pan of johnnycake in the oven.
1910, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter II, in The Depot MasterSynonyms: ashcake, battercake, New England cornbread, corncake, cornpone, hoecake, journeycake, mushbread
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA dense, baked or fried flatbread made of cornmeal.
More synonyms by meaning
nouncornbread usually cooked pancake-style on a griddle (chiefly New England)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From johnny, alteration of journey, + cake.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
johnnycake. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/johnnycake
“johnnycake.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/johnnycake. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “johnnycake,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/johnnycake.
Source: johnnycake on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.