I just found the site I've been looking for all my life, listing all the embarrassing things you might say in French and how to avoid them.
https://frenchtogether.com/common-french-mistakes
Faux Amis
Single words which mean something different are known in French as faux amis or false friends.
Double Entendres
Doubles entendres are double meanings or double understandings.
If you have ever worked in advertising or marketing you will have heard how products have been given names which are rude in other languages.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/31168/11-product-names-mean-unfortunate-things-other-languages
Erasers
My classic error in the USA in Washington DC was asking in a stationery department for a rubber. I was looking for an eraser. I was told to find a drug store (pharmacy). After I spotted what I was looking for on the shelves I asked an assistant, "If this isn't a rubber what is it?"
She said, "An eraser."
Knocks
The other one which causes confusion is knock you up (English and American, in one language to knock on the door and wake you, in the other language to get you pregnant).
Thongs
New Zealand and Australia beachside restaurants have signs No thongs. In English thongs are T bar skimpy bikini bottoms or underwear exposing everything at the back. But thongs to the Australians and New Zealanders are beach shoes which in England would be called flip-flops.
Angela Lansbury, teacher and tutor of English and occasionally French, speaker and author.
https://frenchtogether.com/common-french-mistakes
Faux Amis
Single words which mean something different are known in French as faux amis or false friends.
Double Entendres
Doubles entendres are double meanings or double understandings.
If you have ever worked in advertising or marketing you will have heard how products have been given names which are rude in other languages.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/31168/11-product-names-mean-unfortunate-things-other-languages
Erasers
My classic error in the USA in Washington DC was asking in a stationery department for a rubber. I was looking for an eraser. I was told to find a drug store (pharmacy). After I spotted what I was looking for on the shelves I asked an assistant, "If this isn't a rubber what is it?"
She said, "An eraser."
Knocks
The other one which causes confusion is knock you up (English and American, in one language to knock on the door and wake you, in the other language to get you pregnant).
Thongs
New Zealand and Australia beachside restaurants have signs No thongs. In English thongs are T bar skimpy bikini bottoms or underwear exposing everything at the back. But thongs to the Australians and New Zealanders are beach shoes which in England would be called flip-flops.
Angela Lansbury, teacher and tutor of English and occasionally French, speaker and author.
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