That Came Out Wrong.
Cover of That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 6: On Holiday. The line on the cover reads “Good evening. I'd like a camera with a view of the sea.”

English edition · B1–C1

That Came Out Wrong · Vol. 6On Holiday

20 darkly funny English false friends on holiday, and how never to say them again.

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

  • “I bought it this morning at the library.”
  • “Excuse me, the sheets in my room are sale!”
  • “We found a little savage beach, with no one there.”

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

Vol. 6 turns 20 classic false friends into short illustrated stories set in hotels, stations, beaches and gift shops. 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. A Camera With a ViewcameraUsually said by Italian speakers
  2. Bought at the LibrarylibraryUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  3. Meet Me at the CoincoinUsually said by French speakers
  4. Some Propaganda, PleasepropagandaUsually said by Spanish speakers
  5. I Forgot My CostumecostumeUsually said by Italian speakers
  6. Composting My TicketcompostUsually said by French speakers
  7. The Chocolate FabricfabricUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  8. The Sheets Are SalesaleUsually said by French speakers
  9. Write Down Your DirectiondirectionUsually said by Spanish speakers
  10. A Coincidence in FrankfurtcoincidenceUsually said by Italian speakers
  11. The Nearest MagazinemagazineUsually said by French speakers
  12. The Conductor Fell AsleepconductorUsually said by Spanish speakers
  13. Here Is My PatentpatentUsually said by Italian speakers
  14. A Savage BeachsavageUsually said by French, Spanish & Italian speakers
  15. Where Is the Service?serviceUsually said by Spanish speakers
  16. Can I Prove Them?proveUsually said by Spanish & Italian speakers
  17. Our Car Takes Fifty-TwocarUsually said by French speakers
  18. A Very Good AffairaffairUsually said by French speakers
  19. Two Hammocks, PleasehammocksUsually said by Spanish speakers
  20. I Left My BasketsbasketsUsually 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. 6: The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
The contents: 20 stories, 20 false friends.
Inside That Came Out Wrong, Vol. 6: Story 2, “Bought at the Library”: the scene on the left, the lesson on the right.
Story 2, “Bought at the Library”: 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 · Italian speakers

A Camera With a View

A smiling guest at reception; the manager holds up a big camera.

Giulia arrives at a seaside hotel in Brighton after a long journey. She has dreamed of this moment for months. At the reception desk, she smiles at the manager.

The line

“Good evening. I'd like a camera with a view of the sea.”

What she meantA room with a sea view (una camera).
What he heardShe wants to buy a camera. With the seaside view pre-installed.

Say it right

Neutral“I'd like a room with a sea view, please.”
Formal“Do you have a sea-view room available?”
Casual“Any rooms looking out on the sea?”
Never againAn Italian camera is a room. An English camera takes photos. You can only sleep in one of them.

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. 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, Teen Slang EditionTeen Slang Edition