Dinner or Supper?

neverstray

I haven't heard the word supper in a very long time. On MFP, I see it a bit here and there. I notice that those people aren't from the USA (I don't think). LOL. Anyway, I'm curious what you say, and where you're from.

I am from (born and raised) Southern California, and we say dinner.

_the_feniks_

Dinner, Best Coast, USA.

pixiee88

I'm from the north of England, and we call it Tea!

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

Dinner - but growing up it was supper. I have no idea where/when it turned into dinner. Coastal Alabama.

xxnellie146xx

I use both. I might use supper more...not sure lol.

I'm from MA.

trinityrecgirl

Most of the time I say dinner (California as well). I have said supper though, it depends on who I am with. Once in a while, it is I am "going to have supper", but going out is always "go out to dinner"

JesterMFP

I'm from the north of England, and we call it Tea!

^this.

xiofett

I use them both to refer to the last meal of the day even though I know better.

I'm from the south, according to my Grandad and Granny the meals of the day were as follows:

Breakfast
Dinner
Supper

5stringjeff

Down South, the three meals were traditionally called breakfast, dinner, and supper. I grew up (in Texas) with breakfast, lunch, and supper. Nowadays it's pretty much breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

lynnw24

It's dinner. I know a few people that still say supper. I teasethem about it all the time!! It's definately dinner.

Cindy873

Dinner...though my parents always said supper. I was raised in NH.

mariposa224

Ohio and growing up it was always "supper." On Sundays, when the big meal was closer to mid-day, we called that "dinner." Now... I think I generally call it dinner, but it's not something I've ever really given thought to. lol

marvybells

dinner! Actually, these days i talk to my cats a lot and i use the term "din-dins"...i need to break that habit.....

born n raised in south jersey

00sarah

I'm from Texas & heard supper a lot growing up. Now I call it dinner, not sure why

suzzann666

OMG...dinner for sure. For some reason the word "supper" is one of those words that makes me want to kill!!

Livingdeadgirl44

I used to live in London so I had Breakfast, lunch, and Dinner.

Now I live in Manchester so I have Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea (my bf accused me of going native as I've even taken to calling bread rolls barms)

RunDoozer

Dinner... Phoenix Az

mariposa224

It's dinner. I know a few people that still say supper. I teasethem about it all the time!! It's definately dinner.

Do they, in turn, tease you about that "a" where it doesn't belong in definitely?

aadutton

i grew up on a farm in nebraska, and "farm people" tend to say "breakfast, dinner, supper". i say "breakfast, lunch, dinner." supper has a bit of hillbilly connotation to me, don't know why. (i can say that since i grew up on a farm... )

serena569

I'm from WI and it's a bubbler. Oh wait. Different argument. It's dinner.

namluv

in WI I have dinner at night. The only time I heard people say supper was at my grandparent's farm in Upper Michigan

karenjoy

I call it dinner, or sometimes tea, and VERY occasionally supper

I am from a small island off the south coast of England

HealthyBodySickMind

I use both. Supper is usually a small sandwich or snack right after work. Dinner is a few hours later, sometimes right before bed, and generally more substantial. I live in the Midwest.

diodelcibo

Here it goes: breakfast then lunch then dinner or tea.

ItsCasey

I grew up in East Texas. We said breakfast, dinner, and supper. I went to college in Austin, where most students are from Dallas or Houston, and they all said breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so that's what I say now, except when I'm back home with my family. A lot of my rural speech patterns return when I'm home.

auntiebabs

I always thought.....

Dinner is the main meal of the day regardless of when it's served.

i.e.
We had Thanksgiving dinner at 1pm....
For Supper we had turkey sandwiches around 6:30pm

Supper is the evening meal regardless of whether or not it's your biggest meal.
Dinner can be served at lunch time or at supper time.

MinnieInMaine

I think we mostly say supper in our house but dinner is perfectly acceptable. (Maine)
Where & when my parents grew up (northern Maine, 1950-70), dinner referred to the midday meal known by most as lunch - weird.

Aross83

Supper most of the time.. dinner does come into play tho.. From New England

wswilliams67

From Wikipedia...

Supper is a name for the evening meal in some dialects of English. While often used interchangeably with "dinner" today, supper was traditionally a separate meal. "Dinner" traditionally had been used to refer to the main and most formal meal of the day, which, from the Middle Ages until the 18th century, was most often the midday meal. When the evening meal became the main meal, it was referred to as "dinner", and the lighter midday meal was called "luncheon."

Supper may refer to, on largely class-based distinctions, either a late-evening snack (working and middle class usage) or to make a distinction between "supper" as an informal family meal (which would be eaten in the kitchen or family dining room) as opposed to "dinner"; generally a grander affair (either or both in terms of the meal and the courses within the meal itself), which would be eaten in the best dining room, may well have guests from outside the household, and for which there may be a dress code. It is common for social interest and hobby clubs that meet in the evening after normal dinner hours to announce that "a light supper" will be served after the main business of the meeting.

In England, whereas "dinner", when used for the evening meal, is fairly formal, "supper" is used to describe a less formal, simpler family meal. In some areas of the United Kingdom, "supper" is used to describe an evening meal when dinner has been eaten around noon. In some northern British and Australian homes, as in New Zealand and Ireland, "tea" is used for the evening meal. In parts of the United Kingdom, supper is a term for a snack eaten after the evening meal and before bed, usually consisting of a warm, milky drink and British biscuits or cereal, but can include sandwiches.[citation needed]

In Ireland, a "chicken supper" is a meal of chips, gravy, onions, peas and chicken breast. Similarly in Scotland and perhaps elsewhere in the United Kingdom, such as in Ulster Scots, a fish supper is a portion of fish and chips. The word is used also as a modifier in this way for a range of other similar meals, such as a "sausage supper", "pastie supper", "haggis supper" and indicates the presence of chips.

In New Zealand it is similar – generally cake and tea/coffee served later in the evening, particularly when people have visitors.

The distinction between dinner and supper was common in United States farming communities into the twentieth century. In most parts of The United States and Canada today, "supper" and "dinner" are considered synonyms. In many areas, including Ontario, the term "supper" may be rarely used. In Saskatchewan, and much of Atlantic Canada, "supper" means the main meal of the day, usually served in the late afternoon, while "dinner" is served around noon. "Dinner" is used in some areas, such as Newfoundland and Labrador, to describe the noon meal as well as special meals, such as "Thanksgiving Dinner" or "Christmas Dinner", the evening meal being "supper". For harvest meals put on by churches and other community organizations, the term used is "Fowl Supper" (features turkey) or "Fall Supper", never "dinner".

wadedawg

Dinner is eaten around noon. supper is eaten in the evening.

cwolfman13

Growing up in rural Nebraska it was always breakfast, dinner, and supper and soda was pop. Been in New Mexico for over 25 years now and it's breakfast, lunch, and dinner...and they call every kind of soda "coke" regardless of whether it's actually Coca Cola or not.