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Original poster

To hate the term 'Tea'

650 replies

ditzyglamour · 04/10/2017 21:29

I guess I know I am as it seems the majority use it. But to me, its dinner and growing up I can never recall hearing anyone refer to it as 'Tea'.

I just find it so flowery and annoying.

Got that off my chest now 😃.

Anyone else?

OP posts:
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5
InsomniacAnonymous · 05/10/2017 15:29

ProfessorCat why isn't your packed lunch your lunch?

ProfessorCat · 05/10/2017 15:30

Because I eat it on my dinner hour, at dinner time. Then, if I'm on duty, I go and chat to the dinner ladies.

catiinbo0ts · 05/10/2017 15:31

Cor people are getting right eggy on this thread.

Ifailed · 05/10/2017 15:34

Not too bothered about the word 'tea' for an evening meal, but do get stupidly cross about people talking about lunch, an abbreviation of luncheon, so pretentious.
Never met anyone who had luncheon ladies at their school to over-see the midday meal, but lots of dinner ladies.

Helendee · 05/10/2017 15:41

It's always been breakfast, dinner and tea for me but I am as working class as they come. Smile

existentialmoment · 05/10/2017 15:57

Because I eat it on my dinner hour, at dinner time. Then, if I'm on duty, I go and chat to the dinner ladies

Then why don't you call it your packed dinner?

defectiveinspector · 05/10/2017 15:57

Alright then Profcat. I have to admit that I sometimes call my tea my dinner and my DP's DM calls it supper Grin.

ProfessorCat · 05/10/2017 15:59

Because the term is packed lunch...?

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about the fact that for some, dinner and lunch is interchangeable. It's really not a hard concept to grasp.

Hushabyelullaby · 05/10/2017 16:07

I had a thoroughly working class upbringing in London, it was always breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tea to me is something you drink.

mrpotato · 05/10/2017 16:17

Can we add wedding breakfast into the mix? It's not breakfast!!

ShowMePotatoSalad · 05/10/2017 16:20

It's nowt to do with class...it's just regional dialect. Tea used to be quite a posh term. I grew up with breakfast dinner and tea, though will now sometimes say lunch and dinner because my DH does, and he will sometimes now say dinner and tea because of me. I can't be doing with "supper" though. I do find the word cringey though I don't know why.

existentialmoment · 05/10/2017 16:25

I'm not sure what's so hard to understand about the fact that for some, dinner and lunch is interchangeable. It's really not a hard concept to grasp

you were arguing that it isn't lunch, it's dinner! You can't have it both ways.

PyongyangKipperbang · 05/10/2017 16:35

Tea and dinner never happen in the same day, unless you are the Queen!

Its lunch and dinner or lunch and tea.

Lunch can be a hot or cold light or full cooked meal. Dinner is a full cooked meal, Tea is a light meal usually cold.

Numberonecook · 05/10/2017 16:38

From Yorkshire. Breakfast is a meal before 11 dinner is around noon if it's after 4 o'clock it's tea time. Sorry yabu

louisajj432 · 05/10/2017 16:39

I say dinner for my lunch and tea for my evening meal

bananafish81 · 05/10/2017 16:40

get stupidly cross about people talking about lunch, an abbreviation of luncheon, so pretentious.

But nationally it's the conventional term for the midday meal, like it or not.

Some might colloquially refer to the midday meal as dinner, but it's much more standard at a national level to call it lunch

Restaurants - the vast majority of restaurants refer to lunch and dinner menus or opening times (whereby dinner is the evening meal). A PP has said they've eaten in local eateries which buck the trend, but it's standard for national chains refer to the midday meal as lunch. Do you consider the likes of Harvester or Premier Inn or Travelodge to be pretentious? They all say 'lunch'. Chains like Bella Italia? Lunch. Pizza Express? It's Express Lunch menu (not Express Dinner menu)

Listings for local restaurants all over the country on Open Table? Lunch

NHS guidance for health eating on Change4Life? Lunch

I'd be more interested to see listings where lunch isn't used to refer to the midday meal

ErrolTheDragon · 05/10/2017 16:42

Tea is a light meal usually cold.

Thats afternoon tea. High tea can be very heavy!

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 05/10/2017 16:51

Lunch is at lunchtime - simple! Tea is a meal which consists of sandwiches, scones and cakes. Dinner is served in the evening, usually the main meal of the day. I think it is a regional thing - Northern people say 'tea', Southern people say 'dinner'. Having said that, my DH (from London) says 'dinner' for the lunchtime meal and 'tea' for dinner - I hate it!

Ikeatears · 05/10/2017 17:03

Just out of interest, what did you call the 'midday assistants' when you were at school? Ours were Dinner ladies which means dinner was at midday and tea in the evening.

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 05/10/2017 17:07

'Midday Assistants' were called servers or waitresses.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 05/10/2017 17:43

But what do you call the ladies who stand in the playground?

They are not servers or waitresses

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 05/10/2017 17:44

We called them dinner ladies as well

Now known in our school at least as lunchtime supervisors

existentialmoment · 05/10/2017 17:46

get stupidly cross about people talking about lunch, an abbreviation of luncheon, so pretentious

There is nothing remotely pretentious about calling lunch lunch. What with it being the word for it and all. Hmm

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 05/10/2017 17:54

We didn't have ladies who stood outside with us - we didn't have a playground.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 05/10/2017 17:55

Fair enough milk

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