Swimming pool, honestly
As a French teacher, my students are a bit surprised to learn that piscine actually means swimming pool. Once I had to send a letter to a parent to confirm it.
Sent by: Guito
Comments
P A MagLOCHLAINN,
Belfast, Northern Ireland
2009-09-18
Guito, go even further back: the "Piscina" was originally the monastery fish-pond / fish-farm! (Fish on Fridays, remember!)
We always wondered if it should be pronounced with "a silent p" !
Anonymous
2009-04-26
A classmate and I always remembered the word for pool with the phrase "Don't piscine the pool."
stephane
2009-04-26
I can only imagine the reactions if you had tried to teach them a story about a seal (un phoque)!!
Actually - I had an art teacher who was friends with a French teacher who ran into his room one day repeating "un phoque, un phoque... " not understanding why her students had become hard to control after the 'seal' flashcard came up....
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