The 2014 editions of Le Petit Larousse and Le Petit Robert will be coming out in early June and here are a few of the new words you’ll find in them.

chelou: this is the verlan (French slang that reverses the two halves of a word) for louche = shifty, seedy, weird

choupinet = cute, sweet

flash-mob = well, flash-mob ie a group of people who organise via the internet or mobile phone some sort of display in a public place

Googliser = to use Google to find information

nomophobe: great word this! It describes someone who is addicted to their mobile and can’t cope with being without it.

textoter = to communicate by text

préquel/le = prequel, as in Star Wars!

hashtag = #

vingtenaire = someone in their twenties

speed dating = same thing!

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a generous smattering of Franglais appearing? Looks like the old Académie, that official moderator of the French language, is losing its grip a little.