For those of you who are intrigued by the argot tossed about in slang books like "Merde", "Merde Encore, the "Street French" series, "Streetwise French and "Tune Up Your French, Berlitz's 94 page "Hide This French Book" will provide more than enough hip topics and expressions to satisfy even the most passionate slang junkie.
Especially geared towards students and those of us who want to know evolving street speak, Berlitz actually prints a two page disclaimer as a preface warning French speaking wannabes that some of the language cited in the book is to be used sparingly and in familiar company that will not judge you as crude.
With this in mind, the author, Eve-Alice Roustang-Stoller demarcates the crudest, rudest and crassest of her lingual tidbits using fetching forewarning icons of thermometers depicted as either with the mercury at a spicy half-way point to label the pretty vulgar or with the mercury bursting to the way-too-hot overspill point to indicate the totally offensive. Thankfully and shame-savingly, she provides gender symbol icons to inform the reader when a phrase is to be used only when describing a particular sex and a website where one can actually hear the correct pronunciation.
The book covers a wide spectrum of situations beginning with the basic greeting expressions, and moving through dating, love, sex, homosexual life, sports, games, shopping, fashion, body parts, technology, gossiping, food, partying, friendship, entertainment and ending with 6 ultimate French gestures. Sidebars like "Un-Censored" (the really vulgar skinny), "Oops" ("I cant' believe I said that" embarrassing stories), "the Scoop" (what you need to know to stay in the know) and "Fact" (cultural similarities and differences) along with cartoon-like illustrations interject a little eye-moving fun into the fast-paced format.
Published in 2004, the language in this book proves to be up-to-date when inspected by a 30-something native French speaker. The only caveat? Obviously, a fifty-year old speaks differently than a fifteen year old; language used in a club differs greatly from that at the dinner table. The language in HTFB most definitely can be offensive when used in the wrong situation and by the wrong person. Perhaps les gros mots don't attract much attention until a non-French person makes use of them, so my tip is to be careful as you expand your language range.
Bottom line: Recommended, but depending on your age and the situation, use with the utmost care. "Tune Up Your French" by Natalie Schorr provides a more thorough treatment of the whens and whys of slang usage, but this books format is sure to have more eye appeal for a student.
