You're invited to a friends for dinner at 7pm, what time do you ring their doorbell?

[suggestionsplease1]

Out of interest, feel free to post to the minute!

Let's say this is not a very, very close friend, so you don't have a pre-existing idea of their expectations / preferences for your arrival time.

After reading another thread on visitor etiquette on AIBU today I was wondering if mumsnetters can converge on a perfect time, or if there are widely differing ideas on this issue!

7:10.

7:10-7:15.

7.02 pm.

7pm

7.10-7.15 pm.

It’s really rude to turn up exactly on time, Imo - you put the host under pressure if they’re running around sorting out last minute prep.

Anything later than that is rude by virtue of being too late.

7.05 - 7.10

6.55

7pm

if I'm running late I would have texted them way before that and I'd arrive as soon as possible

Invited to eat dinner at 7, or "invited over at 7... for dinner"?

Invited to eat at 7pm, I'd prob turn up closer to 6:45 so I don't just waltz in and sit and eat at 7pm on the dot.

Invited over at 7pm for dinner to follow sometime after 7pm, I'd arrive between 7 and 7:10pm

But I'd have arrived much earlier and sat in my car nearby, for fear of being late... I'm definitely a "get there early" person.

sorry but if dinner is at 7pm, i'm there at 6:45pm.

I'd be there for 7pm. Seeing as that's the time we'd agreed on.
Absolutely cannot stand people who fanny about and turn up late - do my head in.
So rude.
I've taken to telling people like that half an hour to an hour before I want to meet them, depending on how bad they are - that way we usually meet at the same time was arranged in the first place lol.

7.10 to 7.15. Late enough to give them a moment to collect themselves but not so late they start to worry you aren't coming.

6.45 because you said dinner FOR 7 so I would assume that meant you were planning to serve at 7 and I needed to be there in enough time to be seated ready to eat.

If you asked me to arrive for dinner AT 7 then I'd ring your doorbell at 7.

7.20. I would intend to be there at about 7.10 but I’m always late.

this is verging on rude. Especially if you are "always late". I hate hate hate people who are perpetually late. If I was going to be any later than 7.05 I would be sending very apologetic texts and have a very good excuse.

7.02, 7.03 if I am being particularly tardy

Sorry last sentence should read you asked me to arrive AT 7 for dinner

It's in the ordering of the words!

7pm. I can't stand being late.

7.05. I think any time from around 7.04 until around 7.12 would be acceptable. Later would be a bit rude. Earlier would also be quite rude. I would be horrified if someone arrived at 6.55. It seems really rude to me.

equally when I say 7pm I expect people to turn up 7pm.
I hate people being late. it's tedious and I think it's very rude to make people wait either way.

Good point about time of eating..if dinner is being served at 7 then yeah, I’d be there around 6.50 to hand over the booze or flowers or chocs or whatever, say hello, offer to help etc.

7 means 7. If they are anything like me they plan and prepare for visitor to arrive at 7 thinking you serve drinks and chit chat, whilst causally stiring something delicious smelling on the hob, then MIL visitors arriving at 7.20 completely buggers up the plans.

7.20. I would intend to be there at about 7.10 but I’m always late

Always? Or do you make exceptions for things like dental appointments, flights, interviews and so on?

7:06-7:08

7.10, maybe quarter past at a push. Arriving earlier than 7pm would be rude. I'd be ok with arriving sometime after 7.02 but would be dragging feet as much as possible!

I guess I would interpret a 'come over for dinner at 7pm' invite as being more along the lines of arrive around then, rather than expect your dinner on the table at that time. I think I would expect the inviter to clarify if they meant the latter.

When I was thinking of this myself I reckoned 7.07pm would be the perfect doorbell ringing time. If all went according to plan, which it rarely does.

I was just wondering in case all of mumsnet thought that it would be impolite to arrive before 7.20 say, or after 7pm.