 The origin of the term is obscure, but often explained as being derived from the French expression "voix de ville" ("voice of the city").A second speculation is that it comes from the 15th-century songs on satire by poet Olivier Basselin, "Vau de Vire".In his "Connections" television series, science historian James Burke argues that the term is a corruption of the French "Vau de Vire" ("Vire River Valley", in English), an area known for its bawdy drinking songs and where Basselin lived; Jean le Houx circa 1610 collected these works as "", which is probably the direct origin of the word.