Eight white-haired members of the French Academy buzzed with discreet excitement last week. In 17 years of meeting between the hours of 2 and 5 every Friday afternoon, carrying on Cardinal Richelieu's instructions to keep the French language pure, they had finished their revision of the As for the ninth edition of the French dictionary, were about to add a new word to the Bs. They agreed that "béquet" ("Printing term. Word or sentence added to correct text.") is now an acceptable French word. Their decision was sent on to the full, 40-man academy, which in secret session approved.
At this rate,...
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