Word Nerd Says...

[Cartollomew]

Entrée
Many of us (non-Yanks) use the term often to refer to a small meal before the main course - usually at a restaurant.
Apparently it is commonly used in the US and non-froggy Canada to refer to the main course itself.

I did not know this. Did you know this?

The moar you know!

Observant readers will have discovered by now that the word is sometimes used to denote "the act of entering".
For example:

Have you seen the video of my entrée into Rico's mum?

FUN FAKT! RIGHTNING ROUND!
Ask Oxford uses a stupid search system that is incapable of recognising the word "entrée" (with the accented "e") and returns nothing for that term.
However, it returns an entry for "entrée" (with the accented "e") when one searches for "entree" (without the accent).

Activity Corner
Host a discussion in which you advocate the use of an alternative pronounciation to "entrée" along the lines of the British lower class' "café" (pronounced "caff").
Have an adult supervise if you're worried that your friends will snap and start shooting people every time you say "onter".

Sources:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entree
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/entree?view=uk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entree

[Kayleb]

Ļővė Ÿōůŗ Ŵõřķ Çăŕť

[Johnnyrico]

shamtastic? Is that you?

[Philondra]

Entrée
Many of us (non-Yanks) use the term often to refer to a small meal before the main course - usually at a restaurant.
Apparently it is commonly used in the US and non-froggy Canada to refer to the main course itself.

I did not know this. Did you know this?

The moar you know!

Actually, I discovered this on my own a couple years ago when I went out to dinner one night with the other expats at my former place of work. This group consisted of people from the US, Aus, UK, France, Switzerland, and Belgium. Evidently the original French word also refers to a "small meal before the main course", so it's the North Americans who are using the word incorrectly.

The reason we had the discussion in the first place is because the petite Belgian woman said (in English) "maybe I'll just order two entrees", which took the four Americans (myself included) completely by surprise, and no one else at the table could understand why we were shocked. It took a little bit of digging before we could figure out exactly what was going on linguistically.

But it made for a fun memory.

[Cartollomew]

Evidently the original French word also refers to a "small meal before the main course", so it's the North Americans who are using the word incorrectly.

Not necessarily; it could be your eating habits are different, but the word is still technically correct.

If the "entree" is the "entry into a meal", and the first order you eat is the main course, then the entree would indeed refer to the main course.

Of course I'm:

A) Not even slightly educated in the ways of French.
B) Nitpicking.
C) Making gratuitous lists.

So it's best just to forget this last post entirely.

[Takius]

FUN FAKT! RIGHTNING ROUND!
Ask Oxford uses a stupid search system that is incapable of recognising the word "entrée" (with the accented "e") and returns nothing for that term.
However, it returns an entry for "entrée" (with the accented "e") when one searches for "entree" (without the accent).

Activity Corner
Host a discussion in which you advocate the use of an alternative pronounciation to "entrée" along the lines of the British lower class' "café" (pronounced "caff").
Have an adult supervise if you're worried that your friends will snap and start shooting people every time you say "onter".

Sources:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entree
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/entree?view=uk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entree

I'm on to you cart...this is just a subtle way to try to get people on the forums to spell RITE. Not gunna hapen mang!

Also that was quite interesting, cheers carty.

[Cartollomew]

Also that was quite interesting, cheers carty.

WHY MUST YOU TURN MY FORUMS INTO A HOUSE OF LIES?

Seriously, this forum suffers from the abuse I should be applying to a blog. But I just can't get the hang of these whippersnappers and their blogosphere.

Also: People can stop reading a blog, whereas this forum has a captive audience.

[Philondra]

This is exactly why I never started a blog. At least here I know my ramblings will get at least one commentator ><

[Cartollomew]

I must confess - I have actually considered starting a blog and just posting stuff poached from this forum.

The ethical considerations weren't what stopped me. It was the effort involved in sifting through all our posts here in order to find the funny.

[Takius]

Step one: Take all of takiuses, Xact's and ricos posts.

Step two: Copy paste random parts of posts together untill you have a blog entry.

Step three: Crush all other blogs with your amazing comedic skills.

[Johnnyrico]

Step one: Take all of takiuses, Xact's and ricos posts.

Step two: Copy paste random parts of posts together untill you have a blog entry.

Step three: Crush all other blogs with your amazing comedic skills.

ahahaha

winrarr