mirliton

le mirliton (FR N-M) hollow tube, either reed, wood, or cardboard, covered on either end with a thin membrane of paper, the tube is slit and air is blown into the tube to create a nasal-sounding music. »Vers de mirliton« means »bad poetry.« First appears in French in 1752, possibly from the refrain of some once-possible song. (Ravel)