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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BEETLE, n. A children's word for a policeman, also blue-beetle (Abd. 1922). [Prob. orig. a childish deformation of beadle with a play on beetle, the insect, and phs. Bittle, n.1]
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"Beetle n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00087925>