Dictionary

shoofly pie en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ʃuː.flaɪ.paɪ/

Etymology

From shoo + fly + pie. Named after the Shoofly molasses company, which was named after "Shoofly the Boxing Mule" (a circus attraction of the period), which was named after a Civil-War-era folk song called "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me". Not related to the idea of shooing flies away from the sweet filling.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A fluffy pie made from molasses with a crumb cake top, traditional among the Pennsylvania Dutch.
   • “Greetings. My name is Ruby Zeldastein. I'm a medium to the other side, and I make a hell of a shoofly pie.” 2013 October 6, Matt McKenna, “Poltergasm” (7:58 from the start), in American Dad!, season 10, episode 2, spoken by Roger (Seth MacFarlane):
   • Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy / Make your eyes light up / Your tummy say, "Howdy." / Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy / I never get enough of that wonderful stuff. 1945, “Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy”, Sammy Gallop (music):

Forms

Synonyms

shoofly cake

Translations (1)

pdc Melassichriwwelkuche (Pennsylvania Dutch molasses pie)