It means “Monkey Fat.”  My mom used to call us that when (rarely) she was being affectionate.

I had to learn German before I realized where she’d got it; it means “Ape (goose, cooking) grease.”  Kind of like the “Washee” (“The lard we put in stew.”) in Thunderheart, to mean “good boy.”

What’s with telling a child “Oh, you’re so chubby and cute I could just eat you right up!”?