A Cool Cat

False cognates are words in different languages that sound alike, but have different meanings. These, along with idioms and slang, are possible pitfalls in learning a new language. The French have a term for them: faux amis (false friends).

Madame Bonseigneur was expecting the delivery of a chocolate ice cream cake, but had to go out for a few hours, so she wrote an instruction for her Spanish house boy:

"Surtot, mettez le gateau dans le frigidaire." (Above all, put the cake in the refrigerator.")

And she went off for a time.

Later on, she came back home. There, on the kitchen table, she found the cake largely melted. "Un horreur!"

She was more astounded when she found her cat in the refrigerator, rather cold and ready to be elsewhere!.