Danger: False Friends

False friends are words from two different languages that look the same, but have different meanings. So sometimes you have to be careful not to translate literally. Read the essay below, for example.

Let me count[1] you some absurd notices[2] I have heard, overcoat[3] when people translate literally from Spanish into English. It’s no casualty[4] that I have heard lots of rare[5] things, which are almost as bad as the letters[6] of the English songs you invent.

One day, you invited me on a date. When we arrived at our destiny[7], I was happily surprised, we were at your house. We were hungry, so you cooked some soap[8]. You forgot to remove[9] the ingredients in the pot while it was boiling. It didn’t taste very good. So, you made me a jam[10] and cheese sandwich. Then we sat in the living room and started to watch a romantic movie. In the middle of the movie, I said that the star looked silly in his smoking[11]. And I thought there was no way he would win a premium[12] for the paper[13] he played. I said that the argument[14] was very boring, but you didn’t agree and we started to have a discussion[15]. Finally, you got so angry with me that you asked me to leave. What a horrible experience!

If you write like this, don’t be surprised if you receive bad notes[16] and don’t approve[17] the course but suspenders[18] it instead!

Replace these commonly confused words in bold with the proper word below. Look at the footnotes of the numbers and letters to find their literal meanings. The answers are in the comments.

a. above all, b. argument, c. coincidence, d. destination, e. fail, f. grades, g. ham, h. lyrics, i. news, j. part, k. pass, l. plot, m. prize, n. soup, o. stir, p. strange, q. tell, r. tuxedo

[1] contar cantidades, [2] letrero, [3] sobretodo, [4] baja, [5] poco frecuente, poco cocido, [6] letras alfabéticas, [7] destino como sino, [8] jabón, [9] quitar, [10] mermelada, [11] fumando, [12] prima, [13] papel para escribir, [14] discusión, [15] debate, [16] apuntes, nota musical, [17] estar de acuerdo, [18] tirantes, liguero

a. sobre todo, b. discusión, c. casualidad, d. destino, final de viaje. e. suspender, f. notas, g. jamon, h. letras musicales, i. noticias, j. papel de actor, k. aprobar, l. argumento, m. premio, n. sopa, o. remover, p. raro, extraño, q. contar una historia, r. esmoquin