A quantity of food. Used very much like mess but applies mainly to the eating of the food, whereas mess can be used to describe the gathering, catching, procuring, or cooking of the food, as well as the eating of it. Accounts differ on the origin of this word.
Some accounts suggest that it is a mispronunciation of bite .
Others state that it is derived from an Old English, bayte , meaning food. Baited for widow adjectival phrase. Sharply, attractively dressed. Used to refer to men, especially men past the usual marrying age, especially if they are sharply dressed for purposes of finding and courting women. All of the above serve as nicknames for the state of Alabama .