crumpet

English

A buttered crumpet

Etymology

17th century, either from crompid cake (“wafer, literally, curled-up cake”), from crompid, form of crumpen (“to curl up”); cognate to crumpled. Alternate etymology is from Celtic; compare Breton krampoez (“thin, flat cake”).

Sense of “desirable woman” attested 1936, possibly as cockney rhyming slang for strumpet; alternatively, compare tart (“loose woman, prostitute”) (itself possibly cockney rhyming slang for heart or sweetheart).

Pronunciation

• krŭm'pĭt,
• IPA: /ˈkrʌmpɪt/, X-SAMPA: /"krVmpIt/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

Wikipedia crumpet (plural crumpets)

1. A type of savoury cake, typically flat and round, made from batter and yeast, containing many small holes and served toasted, usually with butter.
2. (UK, slang, uncountable) A person (or, collectively, persons) considered sexually desirable.

   Joan Bakewell was famously described as "the thinking man's crumpet".

   John and his mates have gone out to find themselves some crumpet.

Derived terms

• thinking man's crumpet

Related terms

• crumple, crumpled

See also

• pikelet
• strumpet
• tart

References

• “crumpet” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
• Where To Buy English Crumpets In America