In the program "Historically yours", Stéphane Bern looks at the roots of a phrase from everyday life.

Friday, he takes us to the discovery of an expression a bit sexist: "to crêper the bun".

Stéphane Bern suggests every day, in 

Historically yours

 with Matthieu Noël, to discover these expressions that we use on a daily basis without necessarily knowing their origin.

Friday, the host goes back to the 12th century, and explores the roots of female hair and the expression "crêper le chignon".

"When women (and only women) fight, physically or verbally, we used to say that they 'tease the bun'. I wanted to go back to the origins of this expression a bit macho, which refers to this hairstyle that brings together long hair on the back or top of the head. 

>> Find the shows of Matthieu Noël and Stéphane Bern in replay and podcast here

"Chignon", a word born from a fusion

Before understanding this expression, the origin of the term 'chignon' in itself is worth looking into.

In the 12th century, the word 'chaignon' referred to the neck.

It comes from the Latin 'catena' (chain) because, at the time, prisoners were tied with heavy chains that closed at the neck.

And therefore on the back of the neck.

'Chaignon' will merge over time with 'tignon', an 18th century term for a large mass of hair.

We also find the etymological root of 'tignon' in the slang word 'tignasse'.

And it is true that when two ladies come to blows, their hair raised and grouped above their necks loses their splendor.

But let's come to creping.

This styling technique consists of combing the hair against the grain, in order to inflate the hair and increase its volume.

A result that can recall the state of long hair after a fight, where the hairstyle goes in all directions and gives the impression of a big mess.

It is therefore no coincidence that Georges Brassens chooses to use the expression `` crêpage de chignon '' in his song

L'hécatombe,

where a few dozen women come to blows on the Brive-la-Gaillarde market for boots. of onions, before attacking the constabulary. "