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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1847
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†MONTAPUS, n. A nonsense word in a child's enigmatic rhyme, standing for “fire” in the context.Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 326:
The gray cat o' grapus Is up the steps o' fundus Wi' montapus on her tail.
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"Montapus n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/montapus>
