That Came Out Wrong.
Cover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 3: Love & Dating. The line on the cover reads “Everyone, this is Tom, my actual boyfriend.”

English edition · B1–C1

That Came Out Wrong · Vol. 3Love & Dating

20 darkly funny English false friends in love and dating, and how never to say them again.

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

  • “Don't worry, it will be small. Only two hundred of my parents.”
  • “Not great. We discussed all night and he left.”
  • “You will always be a beautiful souvenir for me.”

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

Vol. 3 turns 20 classic false friends into short illustrated stories set on first dates, at family dinners and in break-ups. 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
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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. Two Hundred ParentsparentsUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  2. Bringing a FamiliarfamiliarUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  3. Pretending Your DaughterpretendingUsually said by Spanish speakers
  4. A Pure CasualtycasualtyUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  5. Such Large HairlargeUsually said by Spanish speakers
  6. Some Rope for the WeekendropeUsually said by Spanish speakers
  7. We Discussed All NightdiscussedUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  8. A Very Proper BedproperUsually said by French speakers
  9. My Actual BoyfriendactualUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  10. I Advertise YouadvertiseUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  11. Your Formidable MotherformidableUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  12. I Ignore Your NameignoreUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  13. A Very Spiritual FatherspiritualUsually said by French speakers
  14. A Beautiful SouvenirsouvenirUsually said by French speakers
  15. I Love Your BigotbigotUsually said by Spanish speakers
  16. A Big DisputedisputeUsually said by French speakers
  17. Very SusceptiblesusceptibleUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  18. She Never ContestscontestsUsually said by Spanish speakers
  19. Lecture in BedlectureUsually said by French & Italian speakers
  20. Your Terrible LasagneterribleUsually said by French 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. 3: The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
Inside That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 3: Story 2, “Bringing a Familiar”: the scene on the left, the lesson on the right.
Story 2, “Bringing a Familiar”: 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

Two Hundred Parents

A smiling future mother-in-law; behind her, a huge crowd of tiny faces.

Emma, from Leeds, is meeting her French fiancé's mother for the first time. Over coffee, they start planning the wedding.

The line

“Don't worry, it will be small. Only two hundred of my parents.”

What she meantOnly two hundred relatives (parents, parientes, parenti).
What Emma heardAn unusually complicated family tree.

Say it right

Neutral“Only two hundred relatives.”
Casual“Just the family. All two hundred of them.”
UK casual“Only my lot. About two hundred.”
Never againIn French, parents can mean all your relatives. In English, you only get two parents. Two hundred is a lot of paperwork.

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. 2: At the Doctor’sVol. 2 · At the Doctor’sCover 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