False Friends

droguerieFaux amis (false friends) are those French words that you think you know because they seem so much like a word you know in English only it turns out you haven’t got a clue. (Seriously, even after 20 months in Paris, this is still my default state of mind.) Like actuellement which seems like it should mean “actually” when in reality, it means “at the present time.” 

So let me explain that you don’t go to a droguerie to buy drugs. (In fact, drogue is typically used for things like heroin or cocaine. Medicament is the term to use if you’re looking for pain relief or cough syrup. And you buy that stuff at the pharmacie.) Nope, a droguerie is kind of a cross between a hardware store and a kitchen store — a sometimes eclectic mix of stuff for the house and garden ranging from pots and pans and cleaning supplies to gardening gear to light electrical gear.

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