La question pas si bête : pourquoi les habitants de Bordeaux sont-ils comparés à un insecte ?
By Nicolas Gosselin
Published on
“Colorado beetle : (colloquial) (pejorative) (southwestern France) Inhabitant of Bordeaux” . On the dictionary The French language, we find this curious definition about the beetle. Corn where does this nickname given to the people of Bordeaux come from?
Native to America, this insect is capable of ravaging hectares of potatoes at an impressive speed. As early as 1871, the American entomologist Charles Valentine Riley warned Europeans about importing American tubers because they could take advantage of them to cross the Atlantic and invade the Old Continent.
Between the end of the 19e century and the beginning of the 20e century, several alerts in Germany, Great Britain or the Netherlands were well managed: each time, the beetle was quickly eradicated.
A nickname that dates back to the 1920s
But when he was discovered in 1922 about 10 kilometers northwest of Bordeaux, the insect had already proliferated. It was no longer possible to prevent its definitive invasion.
In all likelihood, this infestation would have started in 1921 from a potato transit warehouse in Pian-Médoc (Gironde) where the American army had food delivered until the end of the First World War.
In less than 20 years, the beetle has spread throughout France to neighboring countries such as Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg…
The appellation more broadly designates a city dweller
A century later, the Colorado potato beetle remains associated with Bordeaux. if the Bordelais is not the only one to have received this nickname. This is also the case for people from Marseilles or Parisians; mostly city dwellers.
Indeed, in the rural environment of certain regions, “Colorado beetle” is the unfriendly name for the inhabitants of large cities who come to settle in the countryside and upset the local balance, in particular by speculating on real estate, or who feel at home when they are passing through, on vacation for example. In short, in New Aquitaine, the “Colorado beetle” is often from Bordeaux.
Was this article helpful to you? Know that you can follow Actu Bordeaux in space My News . In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.