What would have been a sharp reply to this?

[2cubesoficeandasliceoflime]

I've lived all over the UK and have a fairly neutral accent which some people interpret as posh (it isn't) but sometimes I use colloquialisms that people dont expect because of it.

I was organising some food. I had referred to it as the "evening meal" just because that was what the menu said. I was speaking to one of the delegates that I dont know and said about having "tea". He looked down his nose at me and said "do you mean dinner? Tea is something you drink". This was in front of quite a lot of people and some sniggered. I just muttered something about the evening meal.

Ive a feeling this wont be the only time Ill experience this about how I talk so what would have have been a sharp but professional reply? Im not the quickest at retorts and when Im put on the spot like that I stumble over my words.

A tinkly laugh/did you mean to be so rude etc aren't particularly sharp.

Im not going to change how I talk. I shouldnt have to. He knew exactly what I was talking about and was just trying (and succeeding) in embarassing me. I can see that certain words/phrases might need to be explained.

This isnt meant to be a discussion about why "dinner" is correct.

(BTW I also use toilet and HATE loo and will never use it).

“Wow, really? Good to know..”

I find calling it ‘tea’ sounds very uneducated. I don’t know why, it just does. It has always been supper to me.

I find calling it supper quite pretentious, I don’t know why 🤷‍♀️

Exactly. Sometimes you have to stick your head above the parapet and stop worrying about what other people think. Set some boundaries and people will respect you.

I agree with both of these which is why I’ve always called it dinner. And I’m from up north where everyone calls it tea. Each to their own.

"Only an oik would correct someone at a social event, sonny"

Deliverd in best teacher voice.

“It’s never a good idea to be sharp with colleagues”
Depends if you want to be disrespected and walked all over the rest of your life. It’s such female way to handle things, and doesn’t work in the way you think it will. If you take him aside he will say all the right words and as soon as your back is turned will talk shit about you for being soft and weak. If you actually want respect from him and your colleagues call him out on the spot and make it clear his comment is unacceptable.

This is much better than my suggestion which would have been, “no one likes a smart arse” lol

In a professional setting, steady eye contact and cool literal reply "Tea can be used to refer to a meal as well as a drink. In this case, I thought it obvious I meant food, given thats what I'm offering you. I'm sorry you misunderstood"

@Notmyreality you sound like my kind of person

He was very rude OP.

On a side note, I'm not from the UK and call it "supper". Tea is scones and cucumber sandwiches. Can cause a messy misunderstanding when I invite people for tea!

Think you were incredibly restrained!

Im not sure it is just about regional variations. Calling it tea in a formal work situation is a bit like an adult referring to their abdomen as their tummy. Just use professional language when in a professional setting.

Those of who call it tea, I'm interested if, say, you went out for your evening meal, would you say 'John and I went to a lovely restaurant for tea' or would you say dinner in that sentence? Also, is John a dinner date or a tea date?

I like this. It’s humorous and a sly dig at him but also letting him know you’re not easily cowed.

To me tea is either cold or something along the lines of fish fingers and chips. I can’t envisage tea being filet mignon.

Love this as a retort!

OP - he was a dick.

I know Mumsnet is not friendly to Americanisms, but there is a phrase that is wonderfully useful over there and it would be nice if it could cross the Atlantic. "Why, bless your heart!" (it has to be said sweetly in a fairly Deep South accent). It can translate to anything from "You have just said something deeply stupid" to "Fuck you.")

Brilliant!

"Interesting... Every day is a school day. So what do you call 'Afternoon Tea' then Crispin? Do you drink scones and clotted cream?"

(Yorkshire accent)
Aye, 'appen tha's reyt, if tha's a southern hoity-toity
🙂

Not sharp enough but I’d just say ‘it’s called tea in vast swathes of the uk’.

There We Are Then 😉

I just tell people they're wrong 😅 it's categorically tea

Loving the suggestions, particularly Professor Higgins.
As a side note we had French exchange pupils in our school and they reported to their teachers that they had not been fed by their host family the first evening.
An investigation revealed that they had turned down "tea" as they had thought they were being offered PG Tips rather than food.

I would say

in my part of the world it’s tea, wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same

"Sorry, didn't you know that in many areas of the UK the evening meal is referred to as 'tea'? I thought it was common knowledge."

If it’s a work event: “I can only assume you are trying to put me down in public to make yourself look better.”

If it’s not a work event: “oh fuck off.”