the
title character in the
comic strip Beetle Bailey, started in 1950 by Mort Walker (1923 - ) which depicts characters in the army and aspects of army
life. Beetle is a
private who continually seeks the easy way out and tries to avoid
work.
another name for the
Volkswagen, a
German-built automobile, first produced in the 1940s. It was dubbed the beetle due to its
short, rounded shape. (
Volkswagen means the people's car, from volk, people and wagen,
auto.) It was characterized by a compact round
design, used little
gas and earned a reputation for
economy and reliability.