Meaning of cake and wine | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A restricted diet of bread and water, imposed as a disciplinary measure.
   US, slang, uncountable
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cake, wine.
   uncountable

Examples

“After a week of privation on pound cake and white wine (strangely the Navy's slang for solitary confinement on bread and water was "cake and wine") Carlsen received warm nourishment.”

“If one was 5 minutes late he got three days bread and water for a first offense. A second time got the culprit 5 days. Insolence and/or insubordination earned one a deck court-martial with 10 days on "cake and wine".”

“[…] and the skipper threw him in the brig for five days on cake and wine (bread and water, in navy slang).”

CEFR level