hors d ’oeuvre

[englishhobby]

Do people in countries other than Britain use the word "hors d ’oeuvre" in their everyday conversation?
Cambridge Online Dictionary says it's used in the UK:
hors d ’oeuvre (Fr) /ˌɔː ˈdɜːv/ (UK: a small savoury dish eaten at the start of a meal)

 

[probus]

It's very common here in North America. We don't pronounce it in the French way. We say it as "or dervz".

 

[Skrej]

I don't know about 'everyday' conversations, because I don't go to parties, soirees, or even eat out at fancy restaurants on a daily basis.

However, it's common enough in AmE as well when the circumstances warrant it.

You'll frequently see 'appetizers' used for more mundane meals, while 'hors d ’oeuvre' is typically reserved for fancier parties and events.

 

[jutfrank]

I imagine it's the same here in the UK as anywhere else. It's certainly not frequently used in everyday conversation.

I'd say that the vast majority of any encounter with this particular word would be in the context of reading it on the menu of a fancy restaurant.

 

[Tarheel]

I've never understood the concept of appetizers. You eat something to stimulate your appetite. Forget it! I want food!

 

[emsr2d2]

I've never understood the concept of appetizers. You eat something to stimulate your appetite. Forget it! I want food!

You might want [substantial] food straight away but your digestive system isn't ready for it. Similar to bitters (digestifs), the point of having a little something first is to get your digestive juices flowing. It encourages the production of saliva in your mouth and other juices in your digestive system, so that they're ready for the larger meal that's coming. Dumping a large meal on an unprepared intestine/stomach/bowel is a recipe (pardon the pun) for disaster!

 

[Rover_KE]

hors d'oeuvre (don't put a space after the d) showed a rapid decline after peaking in written texts in 1982.

I remember that people who didn't know how to pronounce it flippantly said horses doovers, as the addition of a final s was common and acceptable.

It's certainly not common in modern English.

NOTE: AE appetizers = BE starters

 

[Tarheel]

@Rover_KE I think that was for comical effect, but I could be wrong. (I am often wrong.)

 

[SoothingDave]

It's very common here in North America. We don't pronounce it in the French way. We say it as "or dervz".

Wait. How do the French say it?

 

[jutfrank]

Wait. How do the French say it?

Without the 'z' at the end, and instead a very French sort of 'r' sound, which is quite unlike anything natural to English.

 

[probus]

There is also the sound of the "oeu" part which is the same as the vowel sound of "oeuf" the French word for egg. Sorry I don't know how to render it in phonetic symbols.

Cross-posted with @jutfrank.

 

[emsr2d2]

An "s" at the end of a French word is never pronounced, except in the singular noun "fils" (son/sons). Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other exceptions. A pluralising "s" is definitely never pronounced.