Hunger for ‘orderves’ heading north? D’oh!

In Omaha, Neb., there’s a “food truck catering company” with the great name of Mosaic Pickle. You can order things like bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed mushrooms and angel eggs (“same as deviled eggs — but only heavenly”). These and other items fall under the category of “h’orderves.”

It’s not a one-off mistake. In a 2011 Huffington Post column, Eric Lurio wrote: “We are told that after the tour is over, there’s a reception with lots of h’orderves.” On the menu of the Cajun Country Event Center in Louisiana, you’ll find both “cold h’orderves” and “hot h’orderves.” In the Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Race, a quasiacademic essay features this surprising boast: “I was asked by a Washington, D.C., literary agent at her posh Georgetown home enjoying h’orderves with other potential authors to write a book on Jesse Jackson.”

Americans have learned to spell quesadilla, sashimi and Sriracha. Have they forgotten how to spell hors d’oeuvres?

It’s worth thinking about why “h’orderves” is gathering force — and if that ridiculous spelling might cross the border into Canada.

The 2011 census in the United States showed 1.3 million Americans speak French at home — a tiny fraction of the 37.5 million whose home language is Spanish. Understandably, Spanish has displaced French as the second language in American education.

One consequence is that words like “hors,” in which two letters aren’t pronounced, and “oeuvres,” with its abundance of vowels, can act as stumbling blocks to comprehension. That single “d” followed by an apostrophe, makes no sense if you don’t know French. And few non-francophones are adept at pronouncing “oeu.” The expression’s literal meaning — outside the works — isn’t helpful.

My guess is “appetizer” is not seen as classy enough in the posh Georgetown homes. In the U.S., French food and wine retain a certain prestige. There was, admittedly, an attempt to turn french fries into “freedom fries” after France wisely refused to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But even in 2003, many American restaurants continued to serve “entrées,” accent often included.

Likewise, that baffling apostrophe in “h’orderves” may be felt to add a touch of class. Some websites, though, have begun to drop it, resulting now in the occasional “orderves.” This sorry transformation has a precedent. Think of “manoeuvre,” a French word still spelled like that in Britain and Canada. But in the U.S., the normal spelling has been “maneuver.” It’s simpler to write.

I wouldn’t bet against “orderves” heading north. Words containing apostrophes don’t last long in English — D’oh.