Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1812-1998
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MAP, v.1, n.3 Also mapp; maup.
I. v. To nibble with characteristic twitching of the lips, as a rabbit, hare or sheep (Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems Gl.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 337; Lth. 1825 Jam.; Ork., ne.Sc., Ags., wm.Sc., Kcb. 1962). Phr. to map and mell, to live with, to be constantly together. See also Moup.Fif. 1812 W. Ranken Poems 52:
Secure, that nane shall e'er alarm ye Mapping thy kail.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 28:
Amang the grass a maukin happit, An' dewy blades fu' sweetly mappit.Rnf. 1861 J. Barr Poems 162:
[She] lang'd for some douce decent man, Wi' him to map and mell.Hdg. 1889 J. Lumsden Lays Linton 150:
Or munch an' map, an' stamp their paws.Abd. 1929 Deeside Field 42:
I took my fit into my han' And I maupit to the hill.
II. n. Freq. in dim. and reduplic. forms mappie, mappy, map-map, a pet-name for a rabbit, esp. a tame rabbit, a bunny (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 111; Gall. 1903 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc.; a call to a rabbit (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Gregor). Gen.Sc.; †a name for a pet sheep (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 337); †a young hare (Id.).Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 27:
Wi' a mappie, an' a puggie, An' a bonnie barkin' duggie.Abd. 1886 Bon-Accord (18 Sept.) 3:
The “mappies” were grazing by the side of the line and the gentle shepherds watched them in a recumbent attitude.Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 83:
“Daisy”, his “map”, was merry at an ample breakfast of newly-plucked dandelions.Fif. 1899 J. Colville Vernacular 52:
The mappie was his favourite pet.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 93:
A mappy frae his bourie boundit oot. Syne skipt ahint a buss.Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae 'Oo' 32:
An' Watt had birds and mappies, fyles The scholars brocht for mony miles.Sc. 1952 Sc. Home & Country (Sept.) 267:
On reflection, the “map map” technique for rabbits was a mistake.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 69:
... ilkie teem neuk wisreamin fu wi leevin, lowpin craiturs. Scalin alang the glen wis a lythesome linn o deer, a hale breenge o bawds, a fleerich o mappies ...
Combs.: 1. mappie's kiss, a game in which two people chew opposite ends of a straw or string until they meet and kiss in the middle (Ork., em.Sc.(a) 1962); 2. mappie's lugs, the garden flower, Stachys lanata (Ork., Ags. 1962). Cf. lammie's lugs, Lamb, I. 1. (6); 3. mappie('s)-mou(s), a name given to various plants, esp. those of the figwort family, which have blossoms suggestive of the shape of a rabbit's mouth e.g. the antirrhinum or snap-dragon (Sc. 1884 Sc. Naturalist 170; Ags. 1919 T.S.D.C.; ne. and em.Sc.(a) 1962); the calceolaria (Ags.19 1948; Abd. 1962); the foxglove (Ags.19 1962); the mimulus (Ags. 1952; ne.Sc. 1962).3. Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 24:
An' through it a' was marjoram Fite bells an' mappie-moo.Bnff. 1957 Banffshire Jnl. Xmas Annual:
Wi' marjoram an' mappie-mou's.
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"Map v.1, n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/map_v1_n3>
