What does no cap mean?
The meaning of the expression no cap is: "it is true", "truly", "totally true".
The most popular meaning of “cap" is lie. Cap can also be used as the verb "to lie".
Furthermore, the word cap is also associated with "limit", so "no cap" can be identified as "no limit".
How to use cap and no cap?
The word cap is used to substitute the word lie, or to say that something is not true.
On the other hand, the expression "no cap" is used as a crutch as long as we want to emphasize and verify something that is being said and that may seem exaggerated.
Example: Your YouTube channel is cool, no cap.
It's mostly used on the internet and in chats between friends.
Origin
The exact date when the word "no cap" originated is unknown, but we do know where it came from. The word cap, or rather the verb "to cap," was used in the early 1900s by the African-American community as "to exaggerate" or "to lie”.
The expression no cap, arrived later to reinforce a statement and is associated with the Atlanta hip-hop of 2012, according to the website dictionary.com. In fact, a few years later, in October 2017, the term gained popularity thanks to the song "No Cap" by Future & Young Thung, two Atlanta rappers.
Synonyms of no cap
- no lie
- for real
- no joke
- not bragging
Synonyms of cap
- lie
- bullshit
Conclusion
The expression cap and non-cap speaks of the lie. The term is used to say that something is a lie or is being exaggerated (cap); or to the contrary with "no cap". In the case of "no cap" we can use it to reaffirm that something we say or are said is totally true.
