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

[Biscoffaddict]

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?!

brunch is the word for brunch up North!

Historically though, Dinner was the largest, more formal meal of the day and was eaten at lunchtime though! It migrated to the evening meal during the 1700's. Christmas Dinner retains it's original name.

Born and bred in the East Midlands but Growing up in our house it was breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper (ie toast before bed).

I’ve only just realised that this was due to my Nan who was from the north east and this is what she used to say and my dad was brought up with the same as were we. It was quite usual we would have our main meal at lunchtime, I actually cannot remember if any of my friends used the term tea but it’s not usual to hear it in our area.

Somewhere along the line that changed. Now as an adult i say breakfast, lunch & dinner. No longer bother with supper now the kids are grown.

I only ever hear tea now from someone who is/or have parents that are northern

OP it's regional. You surely get the concept of regional variations?

I'm in West of Scotland, common s muck and we say dinner.

In medieval times breakfast was eaten very early; dinner would be between 9 and 10am. Supper would have been at 6-7pm.
Tea seems to have been used in the 1780's for a small meal at 7pm though.

1780 Breakfast 10AM; Dinner 3-5PM, Tea 7PM, Supper 10-11PM

1815 Breakfast 10AM (leisurely), 9AM (less leisurely), 8AM (working people); Luncheon Midday; Dinner 3-5PM; Supper 10-11PM

1835 Breakfast, before 9AM; Luncheon (ladies only) Midday; Dinner 6-8PM; Supper depending upon the timing and substantiality of dinner

1860s/Middle Class Breakfast 8AM (town), 9-10AM (country); Luncheon 1-2PM; Dinner 6-8PM (depending upon formality and place)

1900 Early morning 8AM (tea, bread and butter); Breakfast 8-8:30AM; Luncheon Midday; Afternoon tea 5PM, Dinner 7:30-8PM

1930s Breakfast 8AM; Lunch/upper classes or Dinner/rest Midday-1PM; Afternoon tea 4PM; High tea 5-6PM; Dinner 7-8PM; Supper 9-10PM.

Breakfast, lunch and supper here...west coast Canada

I also dislike the word pudding unless referring to an actual pudding e.g. sponge pudding. Just no.

This thread needs Jackie Weaver

@C152

I've only ever met one person who calls dinner 'tea'.

Come to Yorkshire. You'll meet plenty more!

@marshmallowfluffy

What's the word for brunch up North? Elevenses is just a cuppa with maybe a biscuit isn't it?

Brunch is brunch. Generally something you only eat if it's too late for breakfast, too early for lunch. Probably in a pub with a slight hangover. Back when pubs were a thing...

Surely no one says "high tea"?! Yes I have travelled and have Southern friends. That's ridiculously posh/old fashioned though!

@marshmallowfluffy brunch is brunch

Haven’t RTFT, but for myself and almost everyone I know:

Lunch = the noon meal

Tea = the beverage, or as a mini-meal it’s the beverage with biscuits/cake/sandwiches in late afternoon

Dinner = the large evening meal

You can play bingo with lots of this meal vocabulary with Enid Blyton books.

"What would Aunt Fanny say if we went to bed just after tea? Let's go after supper."

"They did get a good scolding, coming in so late to breakfast. They had to go without half of it too, because Uncle Quentin said children who came in so late didn't deserve hot bacon and eggs - only toast and marmalade. It was very sad."

"Oh yes, let's have brunch! I love brunch."

"Let's have tea-sup!"

People in my part of the North who have tea as their evening meal don't get confused with tea the meal and tea the drink ,because tea the drink is a brew ,as in fancy a brew I'm just brewing up etc ( only I don't as I don't like Brews )

How is this thread still going 30 pages later 😫 and the exact same thread will start again in about a month.

Why do ppl care so much about what you call you meals. Honestly why is this worth 30 pages

I once saw a very long thread possibly longer than this one about the best way to make cottage pie people were getting quite irate about wether to boil the mince or fry the mince and what ingredients to use 🤣🤣
@Cpl654321

@x2boys exactly! I very rarely say do you want a cup of tea. Its always brew

It's dinner. 'Tea' sounds awful

It's breakfast dinner and tea here. Most people I know say those and I'm East Anglia.

Why does Tea sound awful?

@HoboSexualOnslow

It's dinner. 'Tea' sounds awful

Why?

@Alrassan

I also dislike the word pudding unless referring to an actual pudding e.g. sponge pudding. Just no.

So what would you call it, then? Dessert?

Dessert is very common, along with serviette.

@x2boys

Why does Tea sound awful?

Snobbery.

I use dinner interchangeably. Sometimes I call lunch, dinner, and sometimes I call tea dinner. Sometimes just tea or lunch.