A mixture of dried fruits, spices, suet, and sometimes meat, used as a filling for pies, especially at Christmas. Also used figuratively to mean complete destruction or defeat.
Originally from Middle English, literally 'minced meat' - finely chopped or ground meat. The traditional recipe included actual minced meat preserved with fruits and spices, though modern versions are typically vegetarian. The figurative use 'make mincemeat of' emerged in the 19th century.
Despite its name, most commercial mincemeat today contains no meat at all - it evolved from a medieval preservation method where meat was mixed with fruits and spices to last through winter. The phrase 'make mincemeat of someone' perfectly captures the idea of chopping something up into tiny pieces, just like the original preparation method!
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