False Friends - Taschen Guide

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Book: Read False Friends - Taschen Guide for Free Online
Authors: Stephanie Shellabear
‚baby-grow‘ (BE) or a ‚onesie‘ (AE).
Bodybag (a rucksack with a single strap that lies diagonally across the front of the body)
Bodybag means Leichensack . This is not a good choice for your product name!
Neckholder (a piece of clothing with straps which are tied behind the neck)
‚Neckholder‘ (Nackenhalter?) does not exist. The correct English expression is ‚halterneck‘, e.g. halterneck dress, halterneck top.
    This is not simply a recommendation: it is a necessity. If you wish to use English words to name, describe or advertise your products and/or services, it is crucial that you have them checked for their meaning in all of the English-speaking countries in which you hope to sell them.
    Production
    This is the division ( Ressort ) that manufactures products; it is the place where your ideas, in the form of designs, are turned into reality. In this context it is acceptable to speak of your concepts being ‚realized‘ ( realisiert ).
    Example: a meeting dialogue containing false friends
    At a product team meeting, three colleagues of different nationalities are updating each other on the status of the production of a plastic kitchen utensil. They are Hannes from the Konstruktionsteam, Melinda from Materialentwicklung and Sam, a native English-speaking product manager.
    Sam: „…. as I was saying, we're having one main issue with the product and I was hoping we could start analyzing it by going back to the source. Hannes, the main difficulty we are having is with this section of the product (Sam points to a diagram). As an engineer, perhaps you can see immediately what we need to improve.“
    Hannes: „You know I am not an engineer really, but I see the problem and I think that the construction needs to be improved at this place here …“
    Sam: „OK, I see – but so that we all understand this correctly, we're talking about the design, right? The construction is the building of the product.“
    Hannes: „Oh, you're right, yes, the design. We need to make a change to this part of the product, make it thinner.“
    Melinda: „But I am not sure if the material will still be as strong as before. If you make this part thinner, the product could break more easily and that would mean a lot of reclamations.“
    Sam: „Reclamations? What do you mean exactly?“
    Melinda: „When customers are angry about the product breaking and want their money back.“
    Sam: „I see. You mean complaints.“
    Important
    In Germany, only people who have an engineering degree are permitted to call themselves engineers. Native English speakers use the term less strictly: the people who come to repair your washing machine, your TV, your fridge or your freezer can all be called an ‚engineer‘ or a ‚technician‘ .
Tip
    It is normally very rare for native speakers to correct other people's English, because they do not want to create any embarrassment or cause you to feel insulted. If it does happen, then it is probably because the situation is very important and it is necessary to make certain that there is absolutely no confusion. In cases such as these you should make a note to remind yourself of your mistake.
Useful vocabulary
    to crop up
auftauchen
of paramount importance
von größter Wichtigkeit
consignment
Lieferung

Useful false friends to know
    If you mean…
say this:
This…
means:
absolvieren
to pass; to complete*
    He passed his exams with flying colours.
    They have all satisfactorily completed the software course.
absolve
freisprechen
Advokat
solicitor (BE) / lawyer**
    She has just qualified as a lawyer.
advocate
Verfechter; Befürworter
Aktion
campaign
    It was a very successful advertising campaign.
action
Handlung; Bewegung
aktualisieren
to update
    The statistics have now been updated.
actualize
verwirklichen
aktuell
current
    What is the current situation in banking?
actual
tatsächlich; Ist-
    * Words which are separated by a semi-colon have different meanings.
    ** Words separated by a slash have similar

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