Steerpike

When I was a lad in the north of England, we had 'dinner' at noon, and 'tea' at night (early - 5pm). 'Supper' was a late night snack before bed (jam butties and/or 'biscuits' (cookies). )

Then I moved to London, and there, you had 'lunch' at noon, and 'dinner' in the evening (usually at 7pm or so).

Is this a 'north/south' thing (regional) or a 'rich/poor' thing (class)?

I hear some Brits talking about 'supper' as an evening meal ... is this a 'light dinner', or just a very class-differentiating way of referring to the evening meal?

Here in the US, it seems universally Lunch at noon, Dinner in the evening.

Pharrya

When I was younger - down south it was always lunch and supper at maybe 7pm , tea was something you drank and dinner was more a formal thing a bit later - which us kids never had. I think we were pretty middle class (or my mum did at any rate)

Some folk, not neccessarily poor - but still working class, did talk of having tea as a meal - it was very much a class thing.

Mummy in the foothills

I'm from the north and we had dinner and tea.
But one grandmother from Birmingham used to always say, Lunch and dinner then supper before bed.

emailrob

OH's parents from the 'pool have tea and supper (butties and coffee) around 11pm. Never had this growing up in the south

Ozzidoc

I'm an Aussie. English Granny from Lancashire "trained" us to use "lunch" and "dinner", with dinner being the main meal of the day. On sundays, the midday-ish meal was dinner - at it was the main meal of the day - and tea, which was a light meal.

I now use lunch for the meal during the day - which is usually my main meal, and supper for the evening meal unless I'm having friends over for a fancy meal and then it's dinner..but if I invite someone over for supper, then it's going to be something simple and easy

Poppy girl

LOL uncanny I am in the UK at the moment, and the night before I flew out I was talking about this same topic with the OH, explaining the tea story etc.
Anyways Mum said to me when we were in Asda yesterday, "what would you like for your tea tonight"!!!............I knew what she meant, but I guess a foreigner would have to think twice

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Along with "supper", usage can vary within both the UK and US -- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinner.

snowbunny

Texas formal:
breakfast
dinner / luncheon
supper

Texas informal:
breakfast
lunch
supper

Me:
coffee
brunch or lupper
supper

mellybrown

living in the north it was dinner and tea, then i moved south and it was lunch and tea or lunch and dinner

how confusng

Maggs

I'm from Wales and we also said dinner and tea. I suppose living in a coal mining community in the "valleys", it was a very working class area. I brought my kids up to say dinner and tea.

Since I've been in the US, only my son understands what I mean so I've had to reluctantly change to lunch and dinner. When my daughter visits she always asks what's for tea and then teases me I've gone all posh by saying dinner!!


Maggie

HighSpeedGrandma

I grew up in Wallington, Surrey and had lunch and dinner. Then we moved to Lancashire and it switched to dinner and tea. So I think it's purely a regional thing. The rich poor thing is different because I think they have brekkers for breakfast, elevenses for mid morning snacky poos,then luncheon, then tea and crumpets mid afternoon but I can't remember what the euphanism is for that, then they have dinner and after that supper. It's a wonder those richies aren't all the size of elephants the amount of times they eat in a day.

Steerpike

So none of these options allow for 'going out for dinner' as an evening meal, at say, 7 or 8pm? All three of your options seem to reserve 'supper' for the evening meal? You typically see 'dinner menu' in restaurants, don't you, even in Austin (had a great 'dinner' at three forks when I was there last!)

Reason I asked this originally, a young relative is visiting me at the mo and she's from Leeds. She's always talking about having 'tea' and I have to translate!

lansbury

What about tea or high tea or afternoon tea

snowbunny

Being from Leeds your young charge probably says "tay"

I should amend my "posh" names to make two categories: old-fashioned/traditional, and yuppie. Yuppies definitely "do dinner" -- it's so alliteratively alluring.

katieuk

Dinner and tea.

Dinner Money for school
Sunday Dinner
Don't be late for your tea