Cap Ayam

In one of my recent postings, I talked about the word skodeng, which comes about from the word scout den. There is another word or rather a phrase or a term that originated from my alma mater i. e. cap ayam!

Cap ayam means something too ordinary (koman, from the word common!) bordering on mediocrity. If someone says you are cap ayam he means you are mediocre, incapable of performing up to a certain standard. But why ayam? Everybody takes chicken nowadays, and very few young people take fish. There is nothing fishy here. On the contrary, cap ayam that leads to this phrase was - and I believe still is - a brand of sardine or canned mackerel. It was the better canned mackerel during my schooldays than a few others.

During my schooldays in my teens, sardin cap ayam were served to hostellites who didn't take chicken or other cooked fish. Usually a table was reserved for this susbstitute menu for those picky eaters. The members of the table changes according to the main menu served each day.

In later years, friends joke that one is considered (members or consumers) of cap ayam if he is different from the mainstream and too ordinary in life - and later on in work and any other sphere of life! Recently the term "cap ayam" appeared in a Malay daily hinting at similar non-performance of the Nation's sports team!

Cap Ayam, a good brand but leads to a not-to-be-proud-of meaning!