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Discuss Email this Feedback RSS/XML Permalink A.Word.A.Day--hors d'oeuvre Guest wordsmith Rudy Chelminski (rudychelminskiATaol.com) writes: When, earlier this year, I wrote "The Perfectionist", the story of Bernard Loiseau, the world-famous French chef who took his own life because of the insane pressures of his trade, I knew that the book would have to contain a lot of French terminology. At the same time, I was fully aware that most people do not read or speak French, and that it is very rude for a writer to bombard his readers with a language they do not understand. There was no way around the dilemma, though, because the French are the great codifiers of high-level western cooking, and throughout the world it is either pure French or French-derived vocabulary that is commonly used in serious professional kitchens that create la grande cuisine. (See? There we go.) Sensing that many of my readers would need some gentle help, I translated much of the French culinary vocabulary into English, but there were certain words that were either untranslatable or would look downright silly in translation. These I left intact, in their language of origin, which is how they remain in English usage today. Here's a little selection, with a (very approximate) pronunciation guide. hors d'oeuvre (ohr DERV) noun An extra little dish outside of and smaller than the main course, usually served first. [From French hors (outside of), oeuvre (job or work).] Today's word in Visual Thesaurus. "Four glasses of classy bubbles ... all served on a tray with a separate hors d'oeuvre to go with each glass." Flight of Whatever Hinch Fancies; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Oct 6, 2005. "Before the main course, however, would be an introductory hors d'oeuvre in the form of 40 laps aboard a stock Yamaha." Alan Cathcart; American Beauty; Motorcyclist Magazine; Oct 7, 2005. X-Bonus Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art. -Susan Sontag, author and critic (1933-2004)

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