Albert Barrère

Albert Marie Victor Barrère was a French professor and lexicographer who lived from 1846 to 1921. He is remembered above all for Argot and Slang: A New French and English Dictionary, a book that gathered the colorful cant, flash phrases, and informal speech of Paris into a form English-language readers could use.

He also worked on A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant with Charles G. Leland, extending that interest in unofficial language across English, American, and Anglo-Indian usage. Taken together, these books show a writer fascinated by how people really speak, not just how language appears in classrooms or formal dictionaries.

Barrère’s books remain interesting for readers who enjoy language history, social history, and the odd corners of everyday expression. Even now, his work offers a lively snapshot of the words and phrases that once moved through streets, taverns, and popular conversation.