cap on

English

Etymology

From cap (“a lie or exaggeration”) + on.

Pronunciation

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Verb

cap on (third-person singular simple present caps on, present participle capping on, simple past and past participle capped on)

1. (transitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular) To spread caps (lies) or false rumors (about someone); to slander (someone); to insult (someone's) family.

   That guy is always capping on me—don't believe a word he says.

   • 1990, Ben Carson, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Zondervan, →ISBN, page 48:

     For the first few weeks I didn't say anything when the guys capped on me. My lack of response only encouraged them to bear down, and they capped on me mercilessly.

   • 1994, Ramah Lillian Commanday, Survival Or Superiority, University of California Press, page 163:

     And when somebody started calling us, when somebody started capping on you, talking about you, saying, well capping is a whole bunch of derogatory statements thrown at eachother...

   • 2009, Mishna Wolff, I'm Down: A Memoir, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN:

     Dad agreed with her, but then added, "Yeah, but I'll tell you one thing. You cap on me... you better not cap on me, 'cause I'll go upside your ass."

   • 2013, Matt de la Peña, The Living, Delacorte Press, →ISBN, page 83:

     "Sounds like you got some bad intel," he told Carmen. "More like those chicks were capping on me about working at the pool."

Anagrams

• pocan, Ponca, copan, capno-, no cap