That Came Out Wrong.
Cover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 2: At the Doctor’s. The line on the cover reads “Doctor, please, tell me the truth. Is it grave?”

English edition · B1–C1

That Came Out Wrong · Vol. 2At the Doctor’s

20 darkly funny English false friends at the doctor’s, and how never to say them again.

For French, Spanish and Italian speakers. Written in clear English.

  • “Be careful, my teeth are very sensible.”
  • “I'm so sorry, I've got a terrible gripe.”
  • “Yes, I've always had a heavy complexion.”

If you're a French, Spanish or Italian speaker seeing a doctor in English, you may have said something like this. Everyone around you heard something very different.

Vol. 2 turns 20 classic false friends into short illustrated stories set in waiting rooms, pharmacies, dentists' chairs and emergency departments. Each story fits on a double page: the scene, the line that came out wrong, what the speaker meant and what everyone heard, three correct ways to say it, and one line to remember so it never happens again.

PDF ebookA5 · 48 pages · instant download · read on any screen or print at home
€7.90Buy on Etsy
Paperback6 × 9 in · black and white · 48 pages
Coming soon
Kindle ebookFor Kindle devices and apps
Coming soon

The 20 false friends
in this book

Every story shows who usually falls into the trap, because the mistake comes from their first language.

  1. Is It Grave?graveUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  2. Very Sensible TeethsensibleUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  3. Extra-Large PreservativespreservativesUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  4. The Whole Family Is IntoxicatedintoxicatedUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  5. Three People Were BlessedblessedUsually said by French speakers
  6. My Ordinance, PleaseordinanceUsually said by French speakers
  7. The Recipe for These PillsrecipeUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  8. A Terrible GripegripeUsually said by French & Spanish speakers
  9. A Fastidious CoughfastidiousUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  10. Twenty Years in SanitysanityUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  11. Please Prevent My WifepreventUsually said by French speakers
  12. An Envy to VomitenvyUsually said by French speakers
  13. A Stage in SurgerystageUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  14. A Heavy ComplexioncomplexionUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  15. Very Disgusted With My DoctordisgustedUsually said by Spanish speakers
  16. New Piles, PleasepilesUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  17. Grandma's New HospicehospiceUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  18. My Unconscious SonunconsciousUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  19. A Pomade for My RashpomadeUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  20. Very PreoccupiedpreoccupiedUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers

Look inside

Real pages from the book. Tap a page to see it larger. Story 1 is below, free.

Inside That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 2: The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
Inside That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 2: Story 2, “Very Sensible Teeth”: the scene on the left, the lesson on the right.
Story 2, “Very Sensible Teeth”: the scene on the left, the lesson on the right.

Read the first story, free

Story 1 of 20, exactly as it appears in the book.

Story 01 · French, Spanish & Italian speakers

Is It Grave?

A nervous patient waits; the doctor frowns at his file; a tombstone floats in the air.

Antoine has been waiting for his test results for a week. The doctor finally calls him in, opens the file and frowns slightly. Antoine grips the arms of his chair.

The line

“Doctor, please, tell me the truth. Is it grave?”

What he meantIs it serious? (grave)
What she heardShould I start looking at cemeteries?

Say it right

Neutral“Is it serious?”
Worried“Should I be worried?”
Casual“How bad is it?”
Never againGrave does exist in English, but it's formal and rare in speech. Next to a hospital bed, it mostly makes people think of tombstones.

Who it’s for

  • French, Spanish and Italian speakers learning or using English (B1–C1)
  • Expats, international professionals and travellers
  • English teachers looking for fun classroom material
  • Anyone who has ever said something wrong with total confidence

What you get

  • 20 illustrated stories, one per double page
  • What the speaker meant, and what everyone heard
  • Three correct ways to say it: neutral, formal or casual, and sometimes slang
  • A one-line “Never again” tip for each trap

More from the series

Six volumes in English, one for every place a word can betray you. See them all on Etsy ↗

Cover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 1: At WorkVol. 1 · At WorkCover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 3: Love & DatingVol. 3 · Love & DatingCover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 4: At the TableVol. 4 · At the TableCover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 5: Home Sweet HomeVol. 5 · Home Sweet HomeCover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 6: On HolidayVol. 6 · On HolidayCover of That Came Out Wrong, Teen Slang EditionTeen Slang Edition