The French have a problem with Bruichladdich. To be more specific, with the nom de plume "the laddie".

Whether it's a reflection of the French education system, the mesmerising influence of the kilt, or some deep-seated deviance, the French continually mistake laddie for lady, a confusion that could have deeply embarrassing results, particularly in Thailand.

The two words don't even look the same, let alone sound similar:

laddie |ˈladē|noun informal, chiefly Scottisha boy or young man (often as a form of address): he's just a wee laddie.

lady |ˈlādē|noun 1 a woman (used as a polite or old-fashioned form of reference): I spoke to the lady at the travel agency | [ asmodifier ] : a lady doctor. 2 a woman of superior social position, esp. one of noble birth.• a courteous, decorous, or genteel woman: his wife was a real lady, with such nice manners.

Laddie was first used to describe Bruichladdich, as far as we can tell, some time around the turn of the century - the twentieth century - when it was quoted in an article. Laddie is a jeu de mot, a word-game, on the pronunciation of the second syllable of Bruichladdich.

Laddie is synonymous with Gavroche, a fictional character in Hugo's Les Miserables, which has come to mean a street urchin, a mischievous child, and the emblem of the Roux' Michelin three star Michelin London restaurant.

In English, as well as a young man, either mischievous (a Likely Lad) or not, lad also has the connotation of the countryside and working:

lad |lad|noun1 informal a boy or young man (often as a form of address): I read that book when I was a lad | come in, lad, and shut the door.

1 Brit.a man who is boisterously macho in his behavior or actions, esp. one who is interested in sexual conquest:Tony was a bit of a lad —always had an eye for the women.

2 Brit.a stable worker (regardless of age or sex).

The Scottish variant, laddie, no doubt shares the same etymology, but can also share the same air of condescension.

In Pink Floyd's legendary album The Wall, the brains behind it, Roger Waters, wrote the number one hit Another Brick in the Wall. In the song, playing the part of an irate Scottish school teacher in charge of a playground, he is heard to shout out: "You! Yes, you! Stand still laddie!"

In an interview with Mojo magazine in 2009 about this modest contribution to his masterpiece, he admitted "I can only do mad Scotsman & high court judges."