Spradbery - Dont be deceived by the French

BY THE SAME AUTHOR False Friends:Faux Amis:Book One (2010)False Friends:Faux Amis:Book Two (2011) DONT BE DECEIVED BY THE FRENCH ELIZABETH MALET SPRADBERY Copyright 2015 E M Spradbery The moral right of the author has been asserted. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study,
or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in
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concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Matador
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Web:www.troubador.co.uk/matador ISBN 9781783068647 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Matador is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd mes trs chers amis Roubaix, France:
Susan Leclercq et Guy Grudzien FOREWORD If a French person asks you for assistance they are not asking for your help but your attendance (at a party, a function etc.) And when they say attendez they are not asking you to attend but to wait. This book contains over 200 of these deceptive words, also known as false friends.

Two of my favourites are: les tongs : flip-flops and un surnom : a nickname. I like to think that this book is a measured answer, a mature response, a stinging riposte to marcel Luconts book: What we French think of you British, and where you are going wrong. We, the brits, have always had an honourable tradition of trading insults with the French. Avoid an entente glaciale and another Waterloo by picking up the difference between heurter to strike and blesser to hurt. Read this book and never be deceived again. Soon you will recognize the pitfalls and avoid embarrassing misunderstandings; learn also to be able to ask for the station (la gare) instead of war (la guerre).

As well as sections of basic French words and phrases this book contains blagues (Jokes) and Penses (Thoughts) (with apologies to blaise Pascal). As requested after the publication of my first two books (False Friends: Faux Amis : Books One and Two), an index is now included. vii

CONTENTS ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jane Jakeman (), complete with bright French sunflowers (tournesols), is thanks to her stalwart and inspired efforts. Go there now. Julie Knott (), my other expert computer guru, is on hand to rescue me when I get myself into a classic IT tangle. There are few problems she cannot solve, and is kind enough to indulge my love of little gadgets.

Laura K Lawless : Lauras inspiring website (french.about.com) is very helpful as well as entertaining. You can sign up for her daily email to bring you up to speed with French words, phrases and facts you need and want to know. Cover picture and all illustrations by Harry Parke . x

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS abrv. : abrviation : abbreviation adj. f. : adjective feminine adj. m. : adjective masculine adv. : adverb cf. : compare with (see) comp. : computer conj. : conjunction f. : feminine fam. : familier (familiar) fpl. : feminine plural hist. : historical hum. : humorous inv. : invariable lit. : literal m. : masculine met. : metaphorical m/f : masculine/feminine mil. : military mpl. : masculine plural naut. : nautical nf : noun feminine nfpl : noun feminine plural nfs : noun feminine singular n.inv. : noun invariable nm : noun masculine nmpl : noun masculine plural nms : noun masculine singular pp : past participle qch. : quelque chose qn : quelqu'un xi sb. : somebody sb.'s : somebody's sing. : singular sth. : something svp : s'il vous plat xii PART ONE 1 SECTION I DECEPTIVES DECEPTIVES aka FALSE FRIENDS: Words that look like one thing but mean another The French word flippant means grim and not light-hearted, playful as in English 3 (s) achever >
to finish (off), to reach
the end to achieve >
accomplir, raliser l actualit (nf) >
current events, the news actuality >
la ralit actuel(les) (adj.) >
at this moment, now actual >
exact(es), rel(les) l adepte (m/f) >
the enthusiast, the
follower adept (adj.) >
expert(es) aduler >
to flatter to adulate >
flagorner un agenda >
a diary an agenda >
lordre (nm) du jour, le
programme l agrment (nf) >
charm, attractiveness; an
amenity an agreement >
un accord allger >
to lighten, alleviate,
mitigate to allege >
prtendre l allure (nf) >
speed, pace; gait; air, look allure >
le charme, lattrait (nm) ancien(nes) (adj.) >
former ancient >
antique(s), trs vieux, -
vieille(s) (hum.) animer (runion) >
to lead, conduct, keep
going, run to animate >
rendre vivant(es) un anniversaire >
a birthday a (wedding) anniversary >
un anniversaire de
mariage 5 l appoint (nm) >
the right or exact change an appointment >
un rendez-vous, une
nomination les appointements >
earnings, salary, pay,
income appointments (bureau) >
un bureau de
placements arguer >