DCHP-2

mangia-cake mangiacake, < Italian mangiare 'to eat' + cake, Quebec DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Ethnicities, derogatory, slang

  a term among Italian-Canadians for a non-Italian white person.

  Type: 1. Origin — From its original Italian, the term mangia-cake literally translates to "cake-eater". According to Italian-Canadian author Nino Ricci, the term stems from the sweetness and softness of Canadian bread, which, compared to Italian bread, tastes more like cake than bread (see the 2006 quotation). The term is virtually restricted to Canada (Chart 1) and occurs in the internet domains mainly in Quebec (Chart 2), where Italian-Canadians figure in great numbers. It is generally an oral term and has been reported to be in use in Ontario as well. Note in this context the (low) usage in Chart 2 for Ontario.
  See also COD-2, which labels the term "Cdn derogatory or jocular (among Italian-Canadians)". Not listed in Gage-5 and ITP Nelson.