Actually as far as Bombay is concerned, the word was "maca paos".
I used to think that maca paos somehow meant ma-ka = mother's pao = literally bread or figuratively idiot child (all in hindi) until I was told a long time ago in Bombay by a Sindhi that it was a play on the words maka = to me or for me pao = reach or help (all in Konkani) Composite meaning as in "maka pao, saibini" = please help me holy mother of god - which Goan women of Dhobitalao used to say quite often, like the Italians "mamma mia" - mother of mine. Somehow, in Bombay this was not derogatory although non-Bombayites may be forgiven for thinking it was. Intercommunal harmony at one time was a way of life in Bombay. As I wrote before, the Sindhis were called "papads" - they were famous for their spicy papadums, the Parsis "pagals" - they were eccentric, the Maharashtrians "ghatis" - whether they were from the ghats (hills) or not, and so on. Therefore I am puzzled by what Ana Maria's "paca paos" meant in the North India of her time. Maca pao, Roland. -- Roland Francis Toronto +1 (416) 453.3371
