Faux Amis - Preservatif

Thus begins my new series, faux amis (false cognates), or words that may trip you up if you're an anglophone in France (or a francophone in the U.S., why not).

Most of the time when I don't know a word, I just take an English word and French-ify it, which works most of the time, but you gotta watch out. Préservatif is probably the most important false cognate to look out for - it is not your friend!

There I was, discussing natural/organic foods and brought up the problem of food with too many preservatives in it - and the rest of the room cracked up. Apparently the idea of food with condoms in it is hilarious (and it is, when it's not you they're laughing at).

French word:
Le préservatif
English equivalent:
Condom