Dictionnaire grammatical du mauvais langage ou, Recueil des expressions et des phrases vicieuses usitées en France, et notamment à Lyon

A modest yet lively handbook from the early 1800s turns the everyday mishaps of French speech into a lesson on elegance and precision. Its author, a schoolmaster in Lyon, argues that the way we pronounce and phrase our thoughts reveals the quality of our minds, and he sets out to rescue children and adults alike from the “vicious” turns that tarnish true conversation. By cataloguing the peculiar idioms and mis‑pronunciations that linger in provincial speech—especially the distinctive habits of Lyon’s bustling streets—the work offers a snapshot of linguistic life in a city proud of its commerce but careless with its diction.

The volume goes beyond a simple word list; each entry points out outdated forms, gender or number errors, and outright false meanings, often accompanied by brief anecdotes and etymological clues. It reads like a conversation with a meticulous tutor, showing how a single misplaced phrase can spawn misunderstandings, and inviting listeners to sharpen their own expression while savoring a slice of French cultural history.