horse's doovers

See also: horses' doovers

English

Etymology

Fanciful corruption of hors d'oeuvres. Apparently British/Australian prison or POW slang.

Noun

horse's doovers pl (plural only)

1. (UK, Australia, humorous, slang) hors d'oeuvres
   • 1962, William Morris, Mary Morris, Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins:

     None of us is likely to stray so far from the correct pronunciation as the legendary new-rich oil millionaire who demanded “horses′ doovers”...

   • 1973, John O'Grady, Survival in the Doghouse‎^[1], page 86:

     On a couple of our little occasional tables - we′ve got three - they′ve got horse′s doovers set out. Things on cracker biscuits.

   • 1982, George MacDonald Fraser, 1993, HarperCollins, page 290,

     “How! We eat now, together. Horse′s doovers and large snow puddings that make the tongue dead. Joll-ee good!”

   • 2000, Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum:

     ...everyone throws their hats in the air and shouts “hoorah!” and then it′s all over bar the drinks and horses′ doovers and findin′ your own hat.

   • 2004, Gene McDougall, My Letters to David Letterman, Texas: Virtualbookworm.com, page 38:

     As we were all sampling the horse′s doovers, one of the guests, evidently thirsting for a deep philosophical discussion, asked me for my views on the meaning of life.

   • 2009, Glenn Ickler, A Deadly Vineyard, StirlingHouse Publisher, Pennsylvania, page 109,

     “ […] He wants us there by 6:30 for cocktails and, as he said it, horse′s doovers.”