Both, Carlos and Cecil are partly wrong! The word 'Ma ka Pao' was being used
by non Christians, when jokingly referring to Christians, in Bombay; for the
simple reason of "the breaking of bread" as a sacred act during Mass. I know
this for a fact from my earliest time in Bombay. Whatever may be
It has nothing to do with 'pao` bread as was suggested in an earlier post.
'Macapau(s) derivates from 'Saiba maka pau', an ever-lipped expression of
Goans, on any occasion, crossing a road in Dhobotalao or Dabul, asking for a
bread at an Irani's hoping the change she had would be adequate and, s
