..to wonder why everyone refers to the evening meal the kids have as 'tea' not 'dinner'?

[Tweettwo]

We don't live up North so why call it 'tea'?

It's confusing.

I do use lunch, especially for "packed lunch". But a hot meal at either midday or evening would be a dinner.

Supper is a piece of toast before bed. That's the one fixed point in my universe.

I refuse to read the thread as it will wind me up no end. Just this:

It is NOT a northern thing. It is a CLASS thing. Ok? Not all northerners are working class just as not all southerners are middle class.

In Cornwall we have breakfast dinner and tea. Only posh people have dinner in the evening.

What if you went out to a restaurant for a special occasion meal. And what about a roast (dinner) ?

That's where tea doesn't seem right to me.

It is NOT a northern thing. It is a CLASS thing. Ok? Not all northerners are working class just as not all southerners are middle class

Totally agree.
I'm constantly surprised at how many things us cockneys (so very definitely working class SOUTHERNERS) do, are explained by Middle Class southerners as being 'Northern' things.

I've always believed that Cockneys have more in common with Northerners than most other Southerners.

No. Its variable.
Both regional and class ime.
The northerners I know who say "tea" where I say "dinner" are mixed in their "class"

Carla and others, I tried to make that point earlier (some other posters have too); but the majority seem to insist on it being purely a north/south divide.

Erm, there will be both regional and class variation. That's not hard to understand, surely?

Smillas, yes, I know there are both. My point is that a lot of posters are saying it's ONLY a north/south thing.

At home we call it supper.
But if I'm talking to other people I call it dinner so that people don't think I'm posh :-)
Here in norfolk, everyone else calls it tea.

Don't worry OnlyLovers, it was mainly aimed at people who seemed to be arguing it was exclusively to do with class. I wasn't entirely sure whether you were one of them or not.

No, I know it's both but am always annoyed at the suggestion that it's just a regional thing.

Sorry . It's one of my bugbears.

Welsh/midland family here. Tea is the evening meal. Lunch in the middle of the day, occasionally called dinner. That's why the supervisors at primary schools were called dinner ladies.

When I was little it was breakfast,dinner and tea.
Now we live in an area with posh folks its breakfast,lunch and tea.

Suppers are for really posh people!

I have dinner in the evening.
But i thik supper or tea sounds better.
Unless eating out.
Funny how its hard to change.
Lunch is always lunch. That spunds really odd to be called dinner.
My swedish friend's mother used to just call"food" whatever the time of day.

In the olden days in posh houses didn't the children get high tea,and the adults had dinner,then supper later?

Ah, now that's another can of worms!

I have an ongoing argument with someone who thinks 'high tea' and 'afternoon tea' are interchangeable and WILL NOT accept that they're not!

But anyway, back on the point, I haven't heard of children getting high tea. 'nursery tea', maybe.

We had high tea at Brownie pack holiday in the 70's.
We weren't posh but I think it was of the time in a baden- powell sort if way.

I'm Northern

I have breakfast and lunch (except school dinner is dinner )

Then either tea or dinner, depending on whether it's tea or dinner.

If I'm not at work I'll often skip lunch and have tea and supper instead of lunch and dinner.

If I am at work I'm ready to chew my own arm off by 11am but I may have lunch and then tea with the dcs, or else wait and have dinner. It usually depends of their after school activities.

People who think high and afternoon tea are interchangeable should be hanged.

fish supper is fish supper any time after 4pm.

High tea is what the Famous Five used to have, surely? Lashings of lettuce, bags of tomatoes etc. I feel hard boiled eggs would probably feature. And, of course, home-made bread and scones.

Afternoon tea is more Lady Bracknell- dainty cucumber sandwiches, dinky little cakes. And so forth.

In my house children are invited over for tea, adults for dinner. But I have been known to get up and start preparing 'dinner', only to shout 'Yer tea's ready!' at whoever is in the vicinity, and no matter what time in the late afternoon/evening it is.

And ginger beer!

Definitely ginger beer.

Especially the alcoholic kind.

Crabbies! You're giving me cravings :)