Breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper?

[steve-in-kville]

What do you call the evening meal? Dinner or Supper?

This must be a regional thing. My wife refers to lunch as dinner, and supper as... supper. To me, lunch is just lunch and nothing else. dinner and/or supper were always the evening meal to me. Must be the difference between Lancaster and Lebanon counties.

Vote and comment.

[JimFoxvog]

"Dinner" is a bigger, fancier meal. Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner may be in the early afternoon.

[QuietlyListening]

Growing up evening meal was supper unless it was with company then dinner and Sunday noon meal was dinner but every other mid day meal was lunch. I usually call the evening meal dinner but occasionally it gets called supper. But lunch is always lunch.

[ontariomartin]

Growing up mid day was dinner and evening was supper.

Now we refer to mid day as lunch and evening as supper. Guess we never have dinner

[ontariomartin]

Growing up mid day was dinner and evening was supper.

Now we refer to mid day as lunch and evening as supper. Guess we never have dinner

[RZehr]

"Dinner" is a bigger, fancier meal. Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner may be in the early afternoon.

Makes sense. We usually have lunch and supper.
I think the only dinners we have are like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Sunday. Those are all larger meals.

[MaxPC]

"Dinner" is a bigger, fancier meal. Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner may be in the early afternoon.

Quite.

Then there is "Tea" and "High Tea".

[Somebody]

Then there is "Tea" and "High Tea".

So what is the Tea and High Tea? Do they replace a meal or are they a 'snack' between meals? I've always wondered about it.

[MaxPC]

Then there is "Tea" and "High Tea".

So what is the Tea and High Tea? Do they replace a meal or are they a 'snack' between meals? I've always wondered about it.

In the UK old days, supper was often served anywhere from 8pm to 10 pm. Afternoon "Tea" consisted of small refreshments such as tea, half-sarnies (a triangle half of a sandwich) and scones topped with jams and clotted cream to fend off the rumblies (stomach growlings) until supper could be had later in the evening. It helped to lift the blood sugar for those in the upper classes who were flagging in their energy around 4 pm.

"High Tea" really was an accommodation for the working classes and the change in lifestyles among the middle classes. After a hard days' work, a hearty meal that closely resembles the American supper was/is served up around 5:30-6:30 pm. It often consists of a meat and two veg usually including potatoes. Peas, carrots and cabbages were often seen in the meal. Bangers (sausages) were standard. In recent times, people will nip out for a curry or have pasta, rice or other ethnic cuisines for "Tea/High Tea".

Whole different set of rules for Sundays. I will stop right there so as not to make this thread boring.

[ohio jones]

Tea and High Tea are great additions, but I think we are still missing something.