In the
Petit Larousse Illustré
of 1905, the bicycle is presented as a "velocipede".
It reads “
bicycle: nf Velocipede with two wheels of equal diameter, the second of which is driving
”.
On the other hand, the velocipede is defined in 1891 by Baudry de Saunier in
General History of the Velocipede
as being the "
rider of this strange mount
".
“This strange mount” refers to what he calls “
velociferous
”.
Velocipede, velocifer, velocipede… Enough to confuse the cycling enthusiast!
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Word completely disappeared today, the velocipede is designated by the magazine
Le Vélocipède Illustré
in April 1863 as "a new religion" conquering many followers.
A widespread sport in Europe already, since on the occasion of the first edition of the Tour de France in July 1903, enthusiasts lined up along the road to watch the “velocemen”.
Velocemen, a veloceman: a completely outdated jargon, in France as in the United Kingdom, where we now use “cyclists” or “racing cyclists”.
Bike or bicycle?
We note the absence of the word "bicycle" in the
Petit Larousse Illustré
of 1905, which finds its place on the other hand in the dictionary
L'argot au XXe siècle
by Aristide Bruant of 1901, next to
"
bécane
"
or even d' “
extender-gambette
”.
Bike or bicycle, no difference separates these two objects, except a sentimental distinction.
It's hard to imagine replacing “
bicycle
” with “
bicycle
” in Yves Montand's couplet: “
When we left early in the morning.
When we were on the trails.
By bicycle
”.
Philippe Delerm insists in
The First Sip of Beer
(1997) on the poetic difference.
He writes “
We are born bicycle or bicycle, it's almost political.
But bikes have to give up that part of themselves to love – because you only fall in love on a bike
”.
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“Apéronomy”, “Fooding”, “Souping”… When the ridiculous invites itself on our plates
The bicycle passing from hand to hand, it once arrived in poor condition at the metalworkers who called it "nail" or "old nail".
From this slang and by a portmanteau, the "nail" and the "bicycle" became in the 1950s a "biclou".
A formula passed from use, in the same way as a mysterious “little queen”.
You have to go back to the end of the 19th century to know the origin of this expression: crowned at the age of ten, Queen Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau in the Netherlands was nicknamed the “
Little Queen
”.
The nickname "
little queen
" was also used at the time to describe women traveling by bicycle.
A double origin reinforced by the fact that Queen Wilhelmina rode, like children of her age, on bicycles.
And the name remained (for a while)!