I believe the Chauchat was also called the 'potato digger' because the reload mechanism included an externally mounted bar under the weapons body that swung violently downward when reloading a cartridge, in effect digging a hole in the ground under it and tossing dirt up all around. What a complete mess.
BTW the Cumbrian lakes and the Highlands of Scotland (especially around the great glen) are the most scenic areas in Britain IMO.
Veni, vidi, verrimus!
I came, I saw, I swept the floor!
The potato digger was a Colt machine gun. The name came for the design of the bolt mechanism, which had a semicircular piece externally under the gun that moved it back and forth in a curved way.