Do you understand the term "elevenses"?

[redskyanight]

My company has decided to introduce a monthly "elevenses" where they will provide drinks and biscuits and staff are encouraged to come and talk to colleagues they don't normally speak to.

I was chatting about this at home and 20 year old DS said he'd absolutely no idea what "elevenses" were and had never heard the term before. DH reckons it is an old fashioned concept these days and will be incomprehensible to anyone under 35.

So, straw poll - have you/ your DC heard of elevenses and is this now an outdated term?

Also the colloquial term I know is "snap", as in "We'll just finish this bit if work and then stop for some snap"

I’ve heard of it and we occasionally use it. I’m 42. I think my children (6 and 9) would know the term because it’s in a few books we read and I’ve sometimes said if they’re starving for a snack around 11, ‘let’s have some elevenses.’ Isn’t it also in Lord of the Rings?

Yep, we had elevenses and 3 o’clock drs when I was small, just asked my child who thinks it’s a snack. I did 3 o clockses snack after school/nap I wonder if I used elevnses with my older boys.

I’m not quite 30 and we always had elevenses at home of cheese and crackers.

As a teen I’d prepare three crackers with cheese for dad and ask for a lift. Always worked a treat. I worked out if I didn’t prepare elevenses dad would dilly dally doing it himself causing me to be late.

My kids are 16 and 11 and they said "it's kind of like a brunch, maybe just some teacakes."

This is where I know it from!

My grandma used to say it, but she is only person I have heard actually use it as a term.

yep, my family and friends have elevenses and still call it that (midlands & south), coffee break with biscuit or cake. Use the phrase often and local workmen etc all use it too. As well known as afternoon tea break time at 3pm.

I’m 41 and I know it, but mainly because I remember a primary school teacher explaining it because she was surprised nobody knew it! To make sure we understood she brought in orange juice and biscuits for us to have at 11 (I loved that teacher!)

I thought the DC definitely wouldn’t know it as they’ve never lived in the UK but turns out they’ve learned about it in English lessons, and it’s a kind of second breakfast like the hobbits have. Apparently in the UK people eat breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper 😁

It's morning snack...drink and biscuit I'm 50 don't use the term but my parents do. Dc may know from having it when we visit.
I like the idea of its revival as something in the office

Ah shit. I’m 35 so past the cutoff almost but we have elevenses almost every day (I do believe in the 90s this was aka Diet Coke break 😂).

It’s a snack and/or drink around 11.00 o’clock obviously

Sweet snack and a cuppa. Only ever heard the phrase used when I was at guides on camp, in the late 90s

i’m 50, I know it from literature by never actually heard someone say it. My kids would know it from books also. It’s certainly archaic.

I’m 53 and would understand, even though it’s not a word I ever use. My parents (mid 80s) use it regularly.

Just asked my 15 and 17 year old and they hadn’t a clue what it meant.

I would love to be a tea lady pushing a trolley around! What a delightful job. I've only seen volunteers doing it at the hospital recently.

Yes, my Mum and Gran always stopped for elevenses: tea or coffee and biscuits.

Grandad would come in from the garden, anyone at home would also have a cup of tea / drink.

This was in the middle of a hard mornings work after a v early breakfast. Mincing beef with a hand mincer, doing washing with a twin tub, washing the kitchen floor on hands and knees, scrubbing the back step, cleaning carpets with a carpet sweeper and the stairs with a dustpan and stiff brush, splitting logs for kindling.

I think it was a ‘thing’ because you had to actually stop work. Not like having a mug of tea at your computer whenever you fancy.

No. Brunch is a meal. Elevenses is tea or coffee (for adults) plus a biscuit or slice of cake (slice of cake only on special occasions).

35, familiar with the term. My grandparents would have their elevenses daily (and a fly cup at 3pm too).

My husband reckons he’s heard of it, but I haven’t. I think our kids would not have a clue.

43 and yes I know what it means. 11yo and 9yo don't (just asked them)

I think anyone invited to such an event in the office would swiftly work it out from the context.

No reason not to used the term.

Am 39, I know and use the term sporadically. It means 'a little something mid morning'. Different from brunch. Tea and biscuits is normal. Am aware it's an old fashioned term - can picture my gran saying it but not my teenage relations. I say let's get it back in - elevenses is great!

My grandmother, who was born in 1892, would have her "elevenses" (a cup of tea and a biscuit) at 11.00am, and "tea" (a cup of tea and a slice of cake, sometimes cucumber sandwiches and scones if there were visitors) at around 3.30pm. I grew up knowing the term, but doubt my adult daughter would as she was born and bred abroad and I never had elevenses myself.
What is this "second breakfast" of which some of you speak?

I'm 42, I heard it in Enid blyton books and a very posh person I worked with when I was 20 said it.

Did Nutrigrain not have a cereal bar called Elevenses, I think it's now called baked something