Dinner or Supper?

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.

wadedawg

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.

LOL All forms of carbonated drinks here are "Cokes" as well. Always have been. Of course, Coke was invented around here, so...

mariposa224

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.

LOL All forms of carbonated drinks here are "Cokes" as well. Always have been. Of course, Coke was invented around here, so...

My boyfriend, who is half-Mexican and from Cali, makes fun of me when I call it "pop," and corrects it to "soda." Sigh... Whatever, not a big deal to me. lol But he says they do that in Mexico, as well, calling everything "Coke."

Oishii

I grew up with breakfast, dinner, tea, because the big meal was at school. Then breakfast, lunch, dinner as I got older, with supper just before bed. And now I use breakfast, lunch and supper, probably because I hear that at the private school where I work. In the UK, it's often seen as saying a lot about you and your background, but having used most options available in the UK, I don't think it says very much for me :laugh:

estrobabe

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.

Born and raised in SoCal too and we definitely say dinner

katellanova

Dinner. Phoenix, AZ

skinnyinnotime

I used to say both, my husband found 'supper' amusing for whatever reason. I'm from London.

josiereside

Central PA girl here... I believe I say both but probably mainly dinner...

Yaya1976

I was raised in southern california, we called it DINNER
I lived in southern florida, we called it DINNER
and now we live in Southern, Nevada (sin city) and we still call it DINNER :drinker:


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IzzyBooNZ1

I am in New Zealand and I say dinner

At work, in between starting time and lunch we have a break called morning tea, supposed to be 15 mins (lol) just to have a snack.

Then in the afternoon we have afternoon tea, for another 15 (lol) minute break.

Eric38877

Dinner :drinker: Massachusetts