Salut!

Minding our language: condemned, fo' shizzle, to a world of 'you guys' and intersectionality

After the awful events I had to write about yesterday - http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/tunisia-and-france-declare-solidarity-after-terror-attacks-kill-38 - a little light relief seems in order. So back to the Words column*, which this time brings you a few examples of new ones and updated meanings of older ones, as approved by the OED. Neologisms do not kill ...

Welcome to Britain. Or save us from Luton aiport and other ripoffs?

Just when I thought France and Italy were trying to outdo each other in the greediness stakes, a short trip back to Britain reminds me of where the serious grasping is still done.

Whoever operates Luton Airport's car parks may be no worse than countless others around the country.

Art, Saint-Tropez and a liberté de trop for Brigitte Bardot

Saint-Tropez was looking its best, stripped of the giant yachts that have curiosity value but clutter the beautiful harbour. There was a sailing event - why am I not surprised Rolex was involved? - and smaller, more elegant craft were berthed where the monsters usually puff out their opulent chests.

The rip-off petrol station entering town was still charging €1.48 a litre for diesel, 26 centimes more than seen just a few kilometres away, but tourists wore happy faces. But in the charming cobbled streets behind the port, there was the hint of discord.

Old books, new reviews: Laura Florand, pre-Chocolate Age, blamelessly on Paris

Salut! has a noble tradition of getting round to writing about books years, even decades, after they appeared.

Since Laura Florand, a Francophile and swottily French-speaking American academic, published her first book, Blame it on Paris, she has produced a string of bestsellers**. Her later works include The Chocolate Heart and The Chocolate Temptation (Amour et Chocolat) and doubtless others having nothing to do with cocoa; she also holds down a job in the romance faculty - calm down, it means languages - at Duke University, North Carolina.

But I am concerned with the debut.

Tin snails and upturned prams: festival time again for the Citröen 2CV

An excellent opportunity to use this great juxtaposition caught by Bill Taylor

Now and then, a sudden burst of traffic towards these pages turns out to be inspired by an old posting. This article, about international rally of Citröen 2CVs, is one of them. It appeared four years ago and drew lots of interest then - see http://www.francesalut.com/2011/07/tin-snails-and-upturned-prams-a-festival-of-citroen-2cvs.html - and, probably because a similar event is due to take place at the end of next month in Toruń, Poland, has sparked renewed activity now. Here, mostly untouched, is the original...

From Sunderland to Saint-Etienne via Paris

Spot the difference. Above you see, and may recall from these pages, the set of a play called Sunderland, a dark social comedy written by a Frenchman, Clément Koch, who had studied and worked in the North East of England and decided to set it there. Below, you see what it's become on the big screen. It's now about the French city, Saint-Etienne, and it has just been released.

Hacked Off vs Salut! - good news and bad

From the National Library of Australia

It is always an encouragement to receive praise for a posting at Salut! and I am grateful to all those (70 at the last count) who "liked" my assertive comments on the case of Anthony France, the former Sun crime reporter convicted of aiding and abetting a police officer to commit misconduct in public office.

French Connexion: the scourge of cold calling

For The Connexion, the excellent monthly newspaper for English speakers in France, I wrote on a subject close to our ears ...

Before France succumbed to brisker eating habits, lunchtime was signalled by sumptuous smells wafting from the kitchen and cries of à table or à la soupe.

These days, even in households where the aromas and announcements survive, there is less welcome evidence that food is about to be served. The phone rings.

San Bartolomeo al Mare to Portofino: only wanted a glass of wine

And it's true. I ordered a glass of red and a glass of prosecco and what you see in the photograph, all the more clearly if you click on it, is what we got.

Camus, Messi and Xavi show footballers can be warm, witty or wise

Albert Camus contemplates signing for Sunderland: from the New York World-Telegram and Sun Photograph Collection, 1957

Sod's law. No sooner had I written and submitted this minor exploration of footballspeak than the latest Fifa corruption scandal erupted. A small insert seemed to maintain its validity ...

If we placed our trust in received wisdom, we would cheerfully accept that words and football make poor soul mates.

Typical footballers, it is almost obligatory to believe, are essentially athletic dimwits who would struggle in almost any other chosen pursuit.

Yes, they may be blessed with physical skills. But no, they cannot string together a few coherent words, and those hired to manage them are not much better.