Canapes

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Is there a difference between this word and "hors d'oeuvre"? And shouldn't there really be an accent on the final "e"? Why is this word so... problematic?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

If your name is Geoff and you decide to open a shop selling canapes, try to resist the temptation to call it "Geoff's Canapes". etc.

― Alan (Alan), Monday, 16 December 2002 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

you can eat canapés too?

― erik, Monday, 16 December 2002 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I always think that hors d'oeuvres are more substantial, or served as snacks before a proper meal, whereas canapes are left on a buffet table or handed round as an accompaniment (blah, day of dyslexia) to drinks.

I could be really worng though.

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Wrong even. Oh hell.

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I could tell you all about them, you know.

― chris (chris), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Well then!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Hors d'oeuvres are eaten at the table; canapes are brought round by waiters and waitresses, non?

I hate people who say Horses Doofers.

― Madchen (Madchen), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, but it is very, very funny.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

ha ha

― Alan (Alan), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I like this idea, that the difference is in the retrieving of them. I suppose if you make it yourself it's just a "snack".

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I dimly remember a cookbook saying that canapes have a bread or cracker base. As for the pronunciation and accents, both words are borrowed from the French.

― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Canapés do tend to be smaller and not covered in sauce too. They are FINGER FOOD and have to be practical. You can't give someone soup as a canapé without incurring wrath.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you speaking from experience N?

― smee (smee), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Smaller than what? HORSES DOOFERS?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

In my house Doofer is a sorta euphemism and this thread amuses me greatly.

― smee (smee), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, but apparently small servings of soup in shot glasses or the like are quite fashionable. This seems wrong to me. But hell, what do I know about the ephemeral and glitzy upper echelons of society?

Heh heh, 'horses doofers'.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Monday, 16 December 2002 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Mini-hamburgers!

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

my new company makes loads of them.

― chris (chris), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Are they, in fact, "stuff on a cracker"?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

A canape is a *variety* of hors d'oeuvre, usually involving bread or crackers. Never both.

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

THE DISTINCTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PORTABILITY.

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

A Horse's Doofers (HA HA HA HA) is synonymous with 'starter' or 'appetiser' in my book.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"The disappearance of hot hors-d'oeuvre was the result of the excessive development of women's skirts."

Baron Leon Brisse (1813-1876)

HA HA HA HA HA HA

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Can you believe it took 63 years to come up with that?

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The bread/cracker base thing may be true, but I still say canapes are eaten standing up.

I have twice had a very small portion of soup served in an espresso cup but both times I was sitting down in a posh restaurant.

― Madchen (Madchen), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I've been given creamy things in little spoon/plate things as canapes before. (They were like the ceramic spoons you get with Cantonese food, but with a flat base). Not quite soup, but not on crackers either.

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never had a canape *sniff*, the places I frequent are too common....

― smee (smee), Monday, 16 December 2002 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps you spend too much time sitting down?

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps, or perhaps I have had a canapés but was under the misguided impression that they were Horses Doofers....

― smee (smee), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I still like Madchen's distinction, even if it's wrong. If you are an eater of canapes and pretentious enough to call them this - "canapes" - it makes sense that you'd want to fortify your choice of words by having a servant bring them to you. If you are a server of canapes I imagine you use this word because it's part of the business - you want to remind your client of the excellent service they're receiving and perhaps also flatter them into their class position, or at least that class position they wish to occupy for that moment that they are eating canapes.

women's skirt information = fascinating!! I'm imagining all these steaming and delicious odds and ends hanging about on Victorian tables and the servants' advice to their ladies not to eat them... the ladies' scowls - "well what am I going to eat then?"...

I wonder when Chris is going to share what he knows!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't, it's classified!

― chris (chris), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Appetiser > Hors-d'oeuvre > Canape.

I do not know why I am being so pedantic about this.

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"My Canape Hell" by Lara.

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

What kind of appetiser is not a horse's doofer, Lara?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

*SOUP*

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick - "horse's doofer"! Priceless!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Not according to the Onslow Arms and they are my guide on such matters.

I don't know. Is soup an entrée?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

In France it is.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

N - I vow this is the last time you will tempt me back to this thread.

An hors d'oeuvre is a savoury appetiser served before a meal. They are usually bite size and can be cold or hot. Hors d'oeuvre may be canapes or a selection of crudites, spring rolls etc.

Soup can be served as an appetiser or an entree.

THE ONSLOW ARMS GOT IT WRONG.

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Is there a difference between an appetiser (American?), a starter (British?) and an entrée (French?) ?

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

They're all spelt differently.

*I lied*

― Lara, Monday, 16 December 2002 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I fear this may be the end of our little thread.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

(but can we eat it?)

― Anna (Anna), Monday, 16 December 2002 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

So are pigs in blankets hors d'oeuvres, canapes, or appetizers?

― rosemary (rosemary), Monday, 16 December 2002 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

pigs in horse blankets!!

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 16 December 2002 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I can clear this one up. Hors d'oeuvre are appetisers served in small portions before the meal proper. A canape is a fabric awning or other overhead protective projection.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 16 December 2002 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha "stuff on a cracker". Billy-Bob and Clem covered in caviar = canapes!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 16 December 2002 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Obviously I go to lots of parties with canapés, and the soup-in-a-shot-glass thing is pretty trendy right now.

Tend to call them CAN APES for the old ironic distance.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 16 December 2002 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

MINI HAMBURGERS! SO 1997

― Gordon (Gordon), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I am also under the impression that canapes go with drinks, not a meal. Primula cheese on Ritz biscuits with a glass of champagne, for example?

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I had a really strong craving for Primula cheese with the ham bits in yesterday.

― Anna (Anna), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

And? And? What happenned?

― Graham (graham), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't eat any and then it went away. (Huge anti climax)

― Anna (Anna), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

No, not an anticlimax. A relief. Thank you God. I was under the desk praying for mercy on your soul in case you didn't find any and still had a craving.

― Graham (graham), Tuesday, 17 December 2002 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

Can somebody please tell me why in Australian restaurants, 'entree' is the course preceding your main, whereas in US restaurants it is the main? Thanks.

― wombatX (wombatX), Thursday, 20 October 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

I believe it's because Americans are wrong.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:00 (twenty years ago)

WTF, they call main course the entree in the US? that can't be right can it?

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:06 (twenty years ago)

it is.

― astor riviera (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:09 (twenty years ago)

doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of it being called the entree?

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

hey, i don't write the menu, i just order from it.

― astor riviera (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

maybe it's the entree into dessert, demonstrating where america's preference lies on the savoury/sweet spectrum

― gem (trisk), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

Americans don't know their French.

The French word entrée means "entry" and therefore literally describes a meal's first dish.

What is the first meal called in the US anyway?

― saleXander / sophie (salexander), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:13 (twenty years ago)

The French word entrée means "entry" and therefore literally describes a meal's first dish.

we know.

― astor riviera (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

Well the French would be most upset. You know how precious they are about their language.

― saleXander / sophie (salexander), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:23 (twenty years ago)

What is the first meal called in the US anyway?

Horse Doofers.

It did trouble me a little though. Further confusion ensued when my partner ordered spaghetti marinara expecting seafood delights and got pasta with plain tomato sauce.

― wombatX (wombatX), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:39 (twenty years ago)

I think I'm on shakier ground with that one though.

― wombatX (wombatX), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:43 (twenty years ago)

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