C'est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille

The expression actually originates in a historical fact, when a ship named Sartine ran aground in the mouth of the harbour.

As a meme, the story mutated the name into "sardine", French word for the European pilchard, and became a sarcasm.

After the Siege of Pondicherry in 1778, a number of French troops were repatriated by cartel, including Paul Barras, who headed the Marine Infantry regiment there.

When the ship was about six leagues south of Cape St Vincent after a ten-month journey, on 1 May 1780, Sartine encountered the 50-gun HMS Romney.

From there she sailed to Marseille, where due to the lack of skill of the replacement for Dallés, she grounded at the harbour entrance, blocking it.