An evening meal
The evening meal
In the U.K. it is called “tea” (by working class folks); or supper (by middle class people).
The “upper classes” are more likely to call it “dinner”.
It’s all very confusing because U.K. people of all classes also have a snack just before bedtime which is also called supper.
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In the USA “supper” denotes an informal meal at home, and “dinner” refers to a more formal meal at home or in a restaurant.
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I call it food!
My evening food included some fabulous vegetables:- sweet potato, carrot, onion, parsnip, green bell pepper, green beans – all gently sautéed in a skillet with a wee drop of olive oil and some rosemary., then supplemented with a few slivers of roasted pork loin.
I care not if this evening meal should be called tea, supper or dinner.
Damn! It was a wonderful evening meal - especially the vegetables.
I think things have changed in England and what a meal is called has more to do with the size of it than when it is eaten. So, the main meal of the day is called dinner whether it is eaten at lunchtime or teatime. The secondary meal is called lunch or tea depending on what time it is eaten. Supper is generally used now to describe a snack eaten before bedtime.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I remember your terminology being used when I was a kid and in my house it was always dinner at lunchtime and tea at teatime whatever the size of the meals.
Oh, and don't forget high tea at 4.00 p.m. A cup of tea and a slice of cake. I had one old aunt with pretensions of grandeur for whom that was a daily routine. I would pop into her house on the way home from school for "high tea" and then go home for my own tea (dinner, whatever). No wonder I was fat.