Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1988
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‡BUTTS, n.pl. Used with the definite art.: “the fire engine” (Gsw. 1914 T.S.D.C. I.; 1938 G. Mortimer in Daily Record (23 June); Kcb.1 c.1887). Gsw. 1988 Michael Munro The Patter Another Blast 11:
butts, the An old-fashioned term, still heard occasionally, for the Fire Brigade: 'Away you an get the butts, son, yer granda's set fire tae the kitchen.' This derives from the water butts or barrels formerly carried to the scene of a fire.
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"Butts n. pl.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/butts>
