Do you call lunch dinner and dinner tea? - General Discussion

SparkleBabe · 12-02-2007, 16:13

Ive always refered to midday as 'dinnertime', so do all my family. Evening, around 5pm is 'teatime'. At those times we eat our dinner and our tea. Everyone round here calls lunch, dinner, and dinner, tea.

I always assumed it was just posh people who ate lunch and dinner?

Is it a regional thing?

calendargirl · 12-02-2007, 16:14

I eat lunch and dinner, except on Christmas when we have dinner at lunchtime and tea at dinnertime

edit - with regards to regional, it may well be, I'm in Hampshire but I just caught it from my parents to be honest, Mum's from Surrey and Dad's from Birmingham so I have no idea!!

Ethereal. · 12-02-2007, 16:14

Yup. Breakfast, Dinner, Tea, Supper.

TTTV · 12-02-2007, 16:15

I sometimes say dinner time and lunch time, never say I'm having dinner, always say having me tea.

sexyback · 12-02-2007, 16:15

I call them lunch and dinner, but I'm American

lostsworld · 12-02-2007, 16:15

I'm from Wales and that is how we were brought up.

cobaltmale · 12-02-2007, 16:15

I always say 'lunch' - have done since school.

I might say dinner if I was going out somewhere for it.

Otherwise it's 'evening meal' for me.

G

Milky Joe · 12-02-2007, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by calendargirl

I eat lunch and dinner, except on Christmas when we have dinner at lunchtime and tea at dinnertime

I agree 100%!

Also sundays is dinner at lunchtime and afternoon tea like cake and tea

whoever,hey · 12-02-2007, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexyback

I call them lunch and dinner, but I'm American

So do i and i'm british

Porcupine · 12-02-2007, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by cobaltmale

Otherwise it's 'evening meal' for me.

G

oOOOhhhh how posh

For me its breakfast, lunch and dinner ...... with pudding if poss.

SparkleBabe · 12-02-2007, 16:17

Ive noticed in Conronation Street the characters have 'dinner and tea'. So maybe its a Welsh/Northern thing?

johnny_t · 12-02-2007, 16:18

I find supper to be the most messed up of all.

My wife's family use it to refer to the milk and bread you have just before bedtime. So when her uncle was invited to someone else's for 'supper' (meaning the evening meal at around 7 o'clock) not only were they surpirsed that he didn't turn up, but they were even more surprised when he did turn up at around 10.30.....

newwoman · 12-02-2007, 16:18

I think it must be a regional thing. I’m a Southerner and we have always said lunch and dinner. Anything eaten later than about 8pm is supper.

I remember living with a girl from North Wales who used to say ‘we’ll meet you at teatime’ and not having the faintest idea what time that was. Still not sure if it’s 5pm, 7pm or whatever really.

batmobile2 · 12-02-2007, 16:18

Am afraid it's a lunch and tea person here. Everyone around me calls lunch 'dinner' but I have always called lunch 'lunch' and tea 'dinner' or 'tea'. Not necessarily posh, but i did go to boarding school for a while which might explain it.

12-02-2007, 16:19

Its breakfast, lunch and Dinner thing for me

lostsworld · 12-02-2007, 16:19

interesting though.....

Main evening meal

Tea is the main evening meal, even if the diners are not drinking tea. It is traditionally eaten at 5 o'clock in the evening, though often it is later, as late as 9pm.

Especially in East Anglia, the North of England, The West Country, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, tea as a meal is synonymous with dinner in Standard English. Under such usage, the midday meal is sometimes termed dinner, rather than lunch.

UKMikey · 12-02-2007, 16:20

Tea-time is every five minutes in my office.

SparkleBabe · 12-02-2007, 16:22

Even at school when we had the 'lunch register' every morning, and we had to shout whether we were having a school meal or a packed lunch. We'd have to shout shout 'dinner' if we were having a school meal.

Milky Joe · 12-02-2007, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparkleBabe

Even at school when we had the 'lunch register' every morning, and we had to shout whether we were having a school meal or a packed lunch. We'd have to shout shout 'dinner' if we were having a school meal.

Were they deaf?

Good point though..i think we called them school dinners even though they were at lunchtime!

bob_loblaw · 12-02-2007, 16:23

Lunch and Dinner here in Aberdeen.

You get a lunch-hour at work and when you get home in the evening you get your dinner.

I've never heard of a dinner-hour!

12-02-2007, 16:25

I say Breakfast, Lunch and Tea.

I probably call my lunch, Lunch, because this is what it is referred to at my school; 'lunchtime'

monkey's mother · 12-02-2007, 16:27

Breakfast, lunch, dinner - interspersed with several snacks. Mmmm... snaaaaaaaack...

What's the difference between dinner (or tea, if you prefer), and supper?

summerflowers · 12-02-2007, 16:27

My northern mother brought us up with breakfast, dinner and tea and its kind of stuck. But like Cobaltmale, if I was going out for a meal in the evening I would say dinner.

SparkleBabe · 12-02-2007, 16:29

Does anyone actually eat supper? It must be the most poitless meal of the day? Why eat something before you go to bed? You'll get indigestion surely?

Milky Joe · 12-02-2007, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkey's mother

Breakfast, lunch, dinner - interspersed with several snacks. Mmmm... snaaaaaaaack...

What's the difference between dinner (or tea, if you prefer), and supper?

Supper is late night (past 8pm) snacking

12-02-2007, 16:13	#1
SparkleBabe Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: My House Services: Sky+, Top Up TV, AOL Posts: 15,938 Blog Entries: 3	Do you call lunch dinner and dinner tea? Ive always refered to midday as 'dinnertime', so do all my family. Evening, around 5pm is 'teatime'. At those times we eat our dinner and our tea. Everyone round here calls lunch, dinner, and dinner, tea. I always assumed it was just posh people who ate lunch and dinner? Is it a regional thing?

12-02-2007, 16:14	#2
calendargirl Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 389	I eat lunch and dinner, except on Christmas when we have dinner at lunchtime and tea at dinnertime edit - with regards to regional, it may well be, I'm in Hampshire but I just caught it from my parents to be honest, Mum's from Surrey and Dad's from Birmingham so I have no idea!! Last edited by calendargirl : 12-02-2007 at 16:16.

12-02-2007, 16:15	#6
lostsworld Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Land of lost souls Posts: 3,711	I'm from Wales and that is how we were brought up. Last edited by lostsworld : 12-02-2007 at 16:20.

12-02-2007, 16:25	#21
Holly Oaks Posts: n/a	I say Breakfast, Lunch and Tea. I probably call my lunch, Lunch, because this is what it is referred to at my school; 'lunchtime' Last edited by Holly Oaks : 12-02-2007 at 16:26.

12-02-2007, 16:14	#3
Ethereal. Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Good question Posts: 456	Yup. Breakfast, Dinner, Tea, Supper.

12-02-2007, 16:15	#4
TTTV Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 1,177	I sometimes say dinner time and lunch time, never say I'm having dinner, always say having me tea.

12-02-2007, 16:15	#5
sexyback Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 91	I call them lunch and dinner, but I'm American

12-02-2007, 16:15	#7
cobaltmale Inactive Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dunfermline ♂ Services: Freeview, T-Mobile, MacBook Leopard, twitter.com/cobaltmale Posts: 17,913	I always say 'lunch' - have done since school. I might say dinner if I was going out somewhere for it. Otherwise it's 'evening meal' for me. G

12-02-2007, 16:17	#11
SparkleBabe Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: My House Services: Sky+, Top Up TV, AOL Posts: 15,938 Blog Entries: 3	Ive noticed in Conronation Street the characters have 'dinner and tea'. So maybe its a Welsh/Northern thing?

12-02-2007, 16:18	#12
johnny_t Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Selby, Jewel of North Yorks Posts: 6,843	I find supper to be the most messed up of all. My wife's family use it to refer to the milk and bread you have just before bedtime. So when her uncle was invited to someone else's for 'supper' (meaning the evening meal at around 7 o'clock) not only were they surpirsed that he didn't turn up, but they were even more surprised when he did turn up at around 10.30.....

12-02-2007, 16:18	#13
newwoman Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Brentwood area Posts: 8,742	I think it must be a regional thing. I’m a Southerner and we have always said lunch and dinner. Anything eaten later than about 8pm is supper. I remember living with a girl from North Wales who used to say ‘we’ll meet you at teatime’ and not having the faintest idea what time that was. Still not sure if it’s 5pm, 7pm or whatever really.

12-02-2007, 16:18	#14
batmobile2 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 639	Am afraid it's a lunch and tea person here. Everyone around me calls lunch 'dinner' but I have always called lunch 'lunch' and tea 'dinner' or 'tea'. Not necessarily posh, but i did go to boarding school for a while which might explain it.

12-02-2007, 16:19	#15
Eternal Life Posts: n/a	Its breakfast, lunch and Dinner thing for me

12-02-2007, 16:20	#17
UKMikey Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Drayton, Middlesex Services: 22 miles (Little Chef) Posts: 9,417	Tea-time is every five minutes in my office.

12-02-2007, 16:22	#18
SparkleBabe Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: My House Services: Sky+, Top Up TV, AOL Posts: 15,938 Blog Entries: 3	Even at school when we had the 'lunch register' every morning, and we had to shout whether we were having a school meal or a packed lunch. We'd have to shout shout 'dinner' if we were having a school meal.

12-02-2007, 16:23	#20
bob_loblaw Banned User Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 5,212	Lunch and Dinner here in Aberdeen. You get a lunch-hour at work and when you get home in the evening you get your dinner. I've never heard of a dinner-hour!

12-02-2007, 16:27	#22
monkey's mother Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Nottingham (a posh bit) Posts: 241	Breakfast, lunch, dinner - interspersed with several snacks. Mmmm... snaaaaaaaack... What's the difference between dinner (or tea, if you prefer), and supper?

12-02-2007, 16:27	#23
summerflowers Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,272	My northern mother brought us up with breakfast, dinner and tea and its kind of stuck. But like Cobaltmale, if I was going out for a meal in the evening I would say dinner.

12-02-2007, 16:29	#24
SparkleBabe Inactive Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: My House Services: Sky+, Top Up TV, AOL Posts: 15,938 Blog Entries: 3	Does anyone actually eat supper? It must be the most poitless meal of the day? Why eat something before you go to bed? You'll get indigestion surely?