In UK slang, "baps" primarily refers to breasts, often in a cheeky or vulgar way, but it also means a type of soft, flour-dusted bread roll, especially in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of England where it's a popular bun for burgers or bacon. The slang meaning, while widely understood, can cause amusement or confusion when used in a culinary context, like on shows such as The Great British Bake Off.
Baps are soft white buns that make for excellent sandwiches. It may seem like making a batch of baps from scratch is a lot of effort to go through for a simple sandwich, but as when it comes to sandwiches, God is in the details.
Regions with access to breweries (such as Manchester) used barm yeast, hence the term barm. Areas with dairy farming might have enriched their doughs with butter or milk. This led to softer rolls, which are often called baps.
"No bap" is a slang term that means "no lie." It comes from the slang term "no cap," which means the same thing. People say "no bap" to emphasize that they're telling the truth, no matter how false or exaggerated it may sound.
A bap is, at its simplest, a bread roll. At its more complicated, it is a tender pillow of dough, often made with milk, lard, and butter. A more humble, Scottish version of the brioche.
A cob, a roll, a bun, a barm, a batch, a bap – it's just flour, yeast, salt, and water, but the country seems to be overflowing with different names for the humble morsel.
Also known as morning rolls or softies, baps are perfect for an egg and bacon roll or – apart from breakfast – for dunking into soups and casseroles. Traditionally they were made with lard I suspect, but butter's more convenient today and I prefer its flavour.
BAP (plural BAPs) (sometimes derogatory, US) Acronym of Black American princess, an upper-class black woman with a spoiled or materialistic attitude. (nautical, military, initialism) The ship prefix for a ship from the navy of Peru.
Bap: Used further north, particularly in parts of the North West and Yorkshire. Barmcake: Common in the North of England, including Manchester. Breadcake: Another name used in Yorkshire for a bread roll. Roll: A more generic name used in the South of the UK and Scotland.
Bap is fairly widespread, but is most concentrated in Staffordshire, the West Midlands (Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham), and North Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
Meaning: A soft, round bread roll. Hate to bring the tone down, but "bap" is also Irish slang for a woman's breast. "Soft, round" - isn't it obvious? Usage: "She had a fine set of baps, so she did".
In UK slang, "baps" primarily refers to women's breasts, used informally and often playfully or cheekily, while literally it means a soft, round bread roll, especially popular in Scotland and Northern England, often filled with bacon or other savory items. The context determines whether you're discussing food or anatomy, with the bread roll definition having older roots and the slang meaning being a more modern, informal development.
