How the Heck DO You Spell Horse Dovers, Anyway?

Ah, hors d'ourves! The sophisticated little bites that elevate any gathering from mundane to magnificent. (They're pronounced like "more swerves," so don't ask for them in a limo or you may confuse the driver and ruin your evening.)

While they delight our taste buds, your favorite party and wedding caterers realize, well, hors dourvres have also caused widespread chaos in the English-speaking world.

No one, it seems, knows how to spell them.

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Are hors d'orvres the same as appetizers?

People often use these words interchangeably. So yes, hors d'orvervs are the same as appetizers.

Except, well... technically... hors d'oreuves (French for "outside the main course") are bite-sized, savory foods served before a meal like nuts, veggie trays, fruits, and cheeses, like the main photo above. Appetizers are served at the table as a first course as a complement the main meal, main course and accompanying sides. So no, hors d'ouervres aren't the same as appetizers. Except --

All-appetizer catering for your wedding or party gives guests a chance to mix and mingle instead of a sit-down meal at a table with people they already know.

In catering Los Angeles, appetizers at your favorite full-service catering company tend toward "small plates," or mini-versions of entrees and sides. They can be held in a smaller plate in one palm. Or without the plate but still by hand. Or with implements like toothpicks and skewers.

So yes. And no. And yes-and-no. Hors d'ouevres are not the same as appetizers.

Any party goes better with pizza, like these Garlic Naan Pizzas with Spinach, Caramelized Mushrooms, Onions, and Paneer.

So what does it matter if I don't know how to spell hors d'oeuvres?

Because we spelled hors d'oeuvres differently in every instance above and you didn't even notice. Plus it makes French people think we're dumb. And we're not dumb. We're not.

(Curse you, the French!)

We Googled all your "horse dover" different spellings and this is what we found:

You'll never look at appetizers the same way again! Ahi Tuna Tartare with Wasabi Caviar in Cones.

The Basics: A Respectable Start

Some brave souls manage to get close to the proper spelling:

✅ hors d’oeuvre (singular but semi-acceptable)

✅ hors doeuvres (not quite, but we see what you were going for)

You forgot the accent after the d' in d'oeuvre, which stands for du, or the, because spelling the with three letters instead of two is exhausting, then you sit and drink a glass of French wine.

(Thank you, the French!)

So far, so good. But this is where things go off the rails…

Taste our best appetizers from around the world, from street tacos (above) and Beer-Battered Baja Fish Tacos (below), vegetarian surprises like "Crabcakes" (made from heart of palm and chickpeas) with Tandoori Tartar Sauce, Tandoori-Spiced Vegetarian Springrolls, a variety of sushi inspirations (including Tuna Tartare in Cones with Wasabi Caviar (2nd photo above), and more.

The “I Give Up, Let’s Wing It” Group

Sometimes people just mash some vowels and consonants together and see what happens.

🔸 hors deurves

🔸 hors douvres

🔸 hors doevres

🔸 hors deveures

🔸 hors dourves

These sound more like exotic creatures than elegant finger foods. Do you call it riding or flying when you're on a Horse Dove? Could you outrun a Horse Devourer? Probably not.

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The “Are You Even Trying?” Category

Some of these spellings look like someone sneezed on the keyboard:

❌ hors devour (sounds like a monster that eats appetizers)

❌ hors douevrer (this one sounds like a spell from Harry Potter)

❌ hors de vours (is this an appetizer or a legal document?)

Tell us your favorite foods and we'll deconstruct them and create dishes you'll always remember, like this Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles with Maple Cayenne Glaze.

The Absolute WTH (What The Heck) Group

At this point, some people just gave up trying entirely:

💀 hors devors

💀 hors douvevers

💀 hors horderves

Corporate catering doesn't have to feel so stuffy. You'll love a catered company picnic on a sunny day with these sliders with BBQ Pulled Chicken and Coleslaw

So if you ever find yourself struggling to make out hors d’oeuvres, on a menu, don’t worry—you’re in good company. Just point at the menu and say, “I’ll have the fancy little snicky-snacks, please.”