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Original poster

To think that you’re evening meal is called ‘tea’ not ‘dinner’?!

999 replies

Biscoffaddict · 04/02/2021 16:33

I see so many posters on here referring to their evening mea, as ‘dinner’, but in real life I’ve never met anyone who does this and it’s always ‘tea’. It always has been tea. My parents call it tea, my grandparents called it tea, my friends call it tea, my work colleagues call it tea etc. ‘Dinner’ is the meal you have in the middle of the day and that’s why school dinner ladies, are called dinner ladies!

I don’t know but I find it quite irrationally annoying! Surely I’m not alone?!

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 04/02/2021 17:32

Well @Biscoffaddict I don't think you Mum is called Mum, I think she's called Mom, just like everyone else has a Mom and you're wrong if you disagree.

She used to cook lunch and dinner.
I confide DS by saying what do you want for tea? Sit down now your dinner is ready - for the same meal. Lunch in the middle. Supper before bed.

Bluntness100 · 04/02/2021 17:32

Apparantly tea is the word for the main evening meal in the north of England and welsh valleys. And is typically working or lower middle class.

The south it is lunch and dinner and there is no class distinctions. So irrelevant of class everyone calls it that.

Scotland I don’t know but I’m also from glasgow and it is breakfast lunch and dinner.

LongPauseNoAnswer · 04/02/2021 17:33

Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea is what you drink.

Alfr · 04/02/2021 17:33

Breakfast, lunch and dinner here (SE)

My family has "supper" on Sunday evenings. We have a roast at lunchtime, so instead of dinner, we have something light in the evening

HurricaneBitch · 04/02/2021 17:34

Whatever words anyone uses I find it best to simply ask for clarification, doesn't everyone? It takes seconds to ask "Tea? Drink or meal?" "Dinner? Do you mean egg and chips or a 3 course meal?"

Blinking heck, some of you are such hard work.

steff13 · 04/02/2021 17:34

Tea is a drink.

NoWordForFluffy · 04/02/2021 17:34

@Crazycactuslady

Isn't 'dinner's which ever one is hot food? The other us lunch or tea depending on the time of day.

I remember hot school dinners and cold packed lunch. I grew up in Northamptonshire in the 90s... now I live in the North with an ex Wiganer where all meals are pies Wink

@Crazycactuslady, I'm from Northants and now live on the NW coast!
TheChip · 04/02/2021 17:34

I drink tea while I eat my tea

ArabellaScott · 04/02/2021 17:35

Sorry, OP, I'm going to have to report this post to the UN. You can't just start questioning what people call their evening meal. Negotiations must be extensively prepared for, cultural sensitivity ambassadors primed, MoD notified, and rules drawn up.

I'll do it later, after supper.

User7458 · 04/02/2021 17:36

It depends on the size of the meal in our house, so Sunday dinner or dinner in the evening if main meal. It's called tea in the evening if we have main meal at midday

Bilgepumper · 04/02/2021 17:36

Breakfast, lunch, dinner. The only time we eat tea, is if we go out for afternoon tea.

Schoolisback1973 · 04/02/2021 17:37

I live in the South and no one I know calls it tea..
We call it dinner. My DD has packed lunch at school NOT packed dinner.

Scbchl · 04/02/2021 17:37

It emerges me that you or anyone else calls it tea. It is lunch and dinner.

User7458 · 04/02/2021 17:38

@Crazycactuslady

Isn't 'dinner's which ever one is hot food? The other us lunch or tea depending on the time of day.

I remember hot school dinners and cold packed lunch. I grew up in Northamptonshire in the 90s... now I live in the North with an ex Wiganer where all meals are pies Wink

Just see this after I posted similar to you, I'm from Northants also
WagnerTheWehrWolf · 04/02/2021 17:38

@TheChip

I drink tea while I eat my tea
Imagine someone from a far flung land reading this in an attempt to swot up on what life in the UK is like.
Scbchl · 04/02/2021 17:38

*enrages not emerges

TurquoiseDragon · 04/02/2021 17:38

We use "tea" and "dinner" interchangeably. I'm not bothered by what anyone else calls it.

Borisjohnsonshairbrush · 04/02/2021 17:38

So when you go to a restaurant and have an evening dinner does the menu say "tea"? No dinner. Tea is what you drink.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 04/02/2021 17:38

Yep yea is a drink. But you drink it with your tea.

Fish and chips for tea plus cup of tea is best meal ever. With white sliced bread and butter.

Alwaysandforeverhere · 04/02/2021 17:39

True with schools it’s packed lunch, hot lunch, lunch ladies/mid day supervisors. Wet play.

No mention of dinner.

ConfusedcomMum · 04/02/2021 17:39

Londoner here and I've always called it dinner. Tea to me has always been a hot beverage. Breakfast, Lunch, Tea time, Dinner.

SleepingStandingUp · 04/02/2021 17:39

@User7458

It depends on the size of the meal in our house, so Sunday dinner or dinner in the evening if main meal. It's called tea in the evening if we have main meal at midday
Does she have a packed lunch for school dinners?
Sparklfairy · 04/02/2021 17:39

Probably been said but didn't see it...

Don't you have a "lunch break" or "lunch hour" at work OP?

Whichname98 · 04/02/2021 17:39

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Tea is a drink.

Does it really matter?!

urbanmist · 04/02/2021 17:40

Breakfast-dinner-tea.

Can we do the tea cake/roll/bap debate next? Grin