The Radio Announcer And The Horse Dovers (Hors D'oeuvres)

I always wanted to be a radio announcer and following discharge from the army in 1970 I fulfilled my dream of attending one of the most prestigious schools in the country: The Connecticut School of Broadcasting.

I excelled in all phases of on air personality and when I graduated at the top of the class was fortunate to have been hired before classes finished.

The school was founded by Dick Robinson an on air personality in a town where I was chosen to fill his position when he left the station years earlier. I had no training and this was when I was in high school - before formal training.

Years later Dick Robinson is now the founder and president of the broadcasting school in Hartford, Ct, and remembered me. He was very instrumental in getting me my first job.

One of the tasks as an announcer was to read live copy on the air. On this particular day just as I was ready to read a salesman ran into the studio and handed me a new version which I did not have time to familiarize myself with. Especially how to pronounce a difficult word, name or place.

I began to read and came upon a word that I realized was not going to come out as intended. The word was Hors D'oeuvres but I quickly said the first thing which came to mind: Horse Dovers - but quick thinking created a blooper heard by millions years later when blooper shows were popular.

This is what the listening audience heard:

"They will be serving Horse Dovers (pregnant pause) along with Hors D'oeuvres"

The manager bolted into the room busting a gut and was impressed that at that split second recognized the correct pronunciation and was able to recover so quickly.