Dictionnaire critique et raisonné du langage vicieux ou réputé vicieux

The volume presents a meticulous examination of French words once branded as vulgar, indecent, or otherwise “vicious.” Its author, an elderly professor, assembles entries with citations, historical anecdotes, and pointed commentary, showing how each term was judged and why it fell out of polite usage. Designed as a companion to earlier works on linguistic difficulties, the dictionary blends scholarly rigor with a vigorous defense of proper grammar.

Written in a conversational yet erudite tone, the book walks listeners through the moral and stylistic arguments that shaped 19th‑century language standards. By exposing common slip‑ups and the social penalties they attracted, it reveals how mastery of grammar was linked to reputation and credibility. For anyone curious about the evolution of French expression, the work offers both an entertaining critique and a valuable reference to the period’s linguistic sensibilities.