boll weevil

noun2

1. •
   A beetle (Anthonomus grandis) measuring an average length of six millimeters (¼ inch), which feeds on cotton buds and flowers, native to Central America.

   • “[…]What do you reckon the boll-weevils’ll eat if you dont^([sic]) get those cultivators in shape to raise them a crop?” I says, “sage grass?” — 1929
2. •
   (informal, old-fashioned) A conservative Southern Democrat.