non’trée

non’trée
 n.— «Bay Area waiters have a nickname for many of their customers these days: the non’trée. Non’trée (pronounced “non-tray”) refers to the folks who order appetizers rather than a pricier entree—a popular practice in economic hard times.» —“Hard times hit Bay Area restaurants” by Stacy Finz San Francisco Chronicle (California) Dec. 7, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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1 comment
  • Excellent word! My youngest son (26, alas) is a waiter in Southern California, working his way through college. He was unfamiliar with the term but immediately identified with it and I’m certain it will be making the rounds in this region shortly.

Further reading

Fair Dinkum (episode #1612)

A magnificent new book celebrates the richness and diversity of 450 years of written and spoken English in what is now the United States. It’s called The People’s Tongue, and it’s a sumptuous collection of essays, letters, poems...