Here is a Cookies to inspire Santas who have on their list of people who have been very good this year and friends of words.
Alain ReyHistorical Dictionary of the French Language (Le Robert), 89 euros
To start, a very very nice gift: the Historical dictionary of the French language of this magician of words who was Alain Reypublished by Le Robert.
It has just been released for the holidays in a beautiful three-volume box set all illuminated in gold. It even comes in three colors: blue, white and red. It still costs 89 euros, but it's worth getting together. to offer this treasure to a true lover of etymology, history, and words.
Bruno Dewaele, Find the fault! (The Opportun), 16.90 euros
Much more affordable, 16.90 euros, but then there for a real spelling freak. The world spelling champion Bruno Dewaele had the idea of offering you “reverse” dictations: you don’t have to write anything. Bruno Dewaele wrote 150 dictations full of mistakes! “Ah well done spelling champion!” you will say, but you can imagine that he did it on purpose. It’s then up to you, red pen in hand, to transform yourself into a French teacher – or even a proofreader, like our columnist!
Behind each text you find the correction and its explanations. A way to change point of view, and place, for once… it's called Find the fault! It's from Éditions de l'Opportun, and it's for dictation nuts!
A board game for lovers of words!
A chachette chasing chase13.50 euros, from 7 years old
Even more fun: A chachette chasing chase. It's the game of crazy sayings, a game of tongue twisters. A tongue twister, according to Larousse (another great gift for lovers of words: the Petit Larousse et Little Robert 2025), therefore a tongue twister: “Group of words difficult to articulate, assembled for fun purposes or to serve as a speech exercise”. For example, repeat this tongue twister proposed by Larousse, amis des mots: 'There are thirteen fresh strawberries left.’.
The game is presented in the form of cards. Each contains a tongue twister, a difficult sentence to pronounce. The goal: to read correctly, without making a mistake, quickly, and without pause, these tongue twisters (be careful, no question of stammering or being approximate, otherwise it's lost!).
World champions of hot potato readers, friends of words. A chachette chasing chaselaughter and spit guaranteed, it's 13.50 euros, and you can play as soon as you can read, from 7 years old. Merry Christmas everyone!
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