Toulouse. Chemin de la Levrette, rue de la Verge d’Or… Here is the origin of these naughty alley names
By Thibaut Calatayud
Published on
Have you ever borrowed the Lanusse path ? If the name of this road located in the heart of the Trois Cocus – Borderouge – Croix-Daurade district can make you smile, know that it is not the only one to have a rather naughty sound.
Toulouse is full of other examples of the same ilk… Here is a non-exhaustive list.
#1. Doggy Way
This is not a joke. There is indeed a Doggy style path In Toulouse. This axis, which is a dead end, is sandwiched between the Canal Latéral à la Garonne and the Avenue des Etats-Unis.
But beware, here there is no sexual allusion. We are no longer in the domain of… animals! in son Dictionary of the streets of Toulouse (Milan Editions, 1989), the historian Pierre Salies explained this funny name:
“In French, the doggy is the female of the greyhound. In the Occitan language, it is the little one of the lebre, that is to say of the hare, this word being in the feminine, the levraut”.
#2. Lanusse path
After the Levrette, it’s Lanusse. This other path is located in the Trois Cocus – Borderouge – Croix-Daurade district. If pronouncing this name orally can lead to confusion, the spelling makes it possible to sweep away a possible anatomical reference.
But where does this name come from? It’s just a nod to Francois de Lanussea nobleman who owned a castle and lands in the Cross Sea Bream district.
In October 2014, The Journal of Montreal had included Chemin de Lanusse in his worldwide list of hilarious street names. The Canadians had also noticed the name of the district of Three-Cuckolds “This is a district of Toulouse, where the Chemin de Lanusse is located. Cocus comes from cocut (cuckoo). The term therefore refers to three birds rather than three cuckolds! “.
#3. Goldenrod Street
After the back, we go to the front with the famous Goldenrod Street ! A stone’s throw from Place Arnaud-Bernard, the name of this alley leaves no one indifferent. In recent years, the plate has also been very often stolen by smart guys.
The origin of the name of this street is quite vague. La Verge d’Or is an “old name of terroir, known from the 15thand century”, specified Pierre Salies all the same in his work. The historian tells us that at the time, some people from Toulouse had tried to change this name… Without success!
This “Golden Rod” could refer to the name of a sign of the time or perhaps to a plant that has the reputation of promoting the healing of wounds. Most varieties of Solidago (the scientific name of the plant) is found in North America.
#4. Boule Street
We stay on topic with the ball street ! It is located between the Canal de Brienne and Place Saint-Pierre.
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to know why it has been called so since the XVIIIand century. However, we know that this road had several names before this one: rue de la Porte du Bazacle, rue du Bazacle and finally rue du Jeu-de-la-Bolle.
#5. Place de la Baise
An umlaut can change everything. The proof with Place de la Baisefrom the name of a river which flows in the departments of Hautes Pyreneesfrom Gers and Lot and Garonne.
This place, located near the Maourine park, has had this name since December 9, 1977.
#6. Boulevard Monplaisir
It’s an ax that runs along the Georges Labit Museum. It is obviously the Boulevard Monplaisir.
“Monplaisir” is a reference to the name of a large estate built in the 18thand century on the banks of the Canal du Midi.
#7. Coin de la Moure path
After the gravel, make way for romanticism with the Coin de la Moure path. A nice pun for this alley in the Côte Pavée district.
Formerly, the current rue des Anges had also borne the name of “la Moure” which, according to the historian Jean Coppolani, would come from the Occitan “mouro” which evokes the plantation of mulberry trees which presented itself on the course of the path at the XIXand century.
#8. Bonus: rue Jean-Suau
What does the rue Jean-Suau in this ranking? Well, to understand, you have to go back to the 19th century.and century. Before being baptized with the name of this famous painter from Toulouse, it was called hot street (or Hot Corner).
A legend indicates that this name comes from a time when prostitutes populated the streets. An idea that is not unanimous among historians.
What seems certain is that rue Chaude does not owe its name to the weather and the mildness of its climate.
“In any case, it does not justify its name, because it is, without a doubt, one of the coldest in our city”, wrote Pierre Salies in the last century.
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