Voting in France

Local residents want to be called “burnt butts”

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/bizoo_n)

In a vote on what they want to be called in future, an extremely unusual name has emerged as the favorite among the residents. The people of Olly want to be called "Cul brûlé" in future - which means "burnt bottom" or "burnt ass" in German.

The term received the most votes in a vote to find a name for the residents of Olley. Mayor David Buono announced that 89 people from the village of 200 souls halfway between Verdun and Metz took part in the vote. 42 votes went to "cul brûlé". All residents aged ten and over were eligible to vote.

New place name was already a nickname
According to the local radio station France Bleu, the name was already in circulation as a nickname. Buono told the local newspaper "Le Républicain Lorrain" that the neighboring municipalities had called the people of Olley by this name.

In this article, Olley and a few of its "burnt butts" are shown:

However, it is not known exactly where the name actually comes from, said Mayor Buono. "It is either a reference to the Thirty Years' War and the Swedish invasions or it is a reference to the production of a medium quality oil in the Middle Ages that blackened the bottoms of the lamps," explained Buono.

Most of the names derived from Ors names
There were also seven other names to choose from in Olley, all of which were derived from the town's name. In France, there are numerous possibilities for such names. For example, the inhabitants of Paris are called Parisiens, the people of Reims are called Rémois, anyone from Bordeaux is a Bordelais, and Bisontins live in Besançon.

Some people in Olley would probably have preferred such a classic name. Even when she was young, people talked about the term "cul brûlé", 70-year-old Madeleine told local broadcaster France Bleu during the vote. "I always thought it was funny, it had neither hand nor foot." A suitable name should be chosen that does not cause confusion or have a negative undertone.

Resident is proud to be a "burnt bottom"
Resident Séverine, on the other hand, sees things differently: "I'm delighted with our name. It's our history," she told the local radio station France 3. "We are proud to be "Culs brûlés"."