Is dinner the noon meal or the evening meal?

[KIN]

We always called the noon meal "dinner" at home, but now use supper or dinner for the the evening meal. So, is it at noon or evening???:001_huh:

[j.griff]

I think it depends on where you're from. In general, I believe dinner is the evening meal, lunch is the noon time meal. In The South and other areas, some call lunch dinner, and call dinner supper. :D

[CookieMonster]

This totally depends on the people with whom you are speaking.

In England dinner is the midday meal and supper is the evening meal.

All my life, I have called the midday meal lunch and the evening meal dinner.

To my surprise, my husband's family, who live in the isolated rural midwest, refer to the midday meal as dinner and the evening meal as supper.

Since then, I've discovered that each family and region refers to the meals in their own manner.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

We always called the noon meal "dinner" at home, but now use supper or dinner for the the evening meal. So, is it at noon or evening???:001_huh:

It's the big meal, whichever that is.

But, sadly, we use it interchangeably. And our poor 4 y/o is sooo confused. :confused:

[KIN]

But, sadly, we use it interchangeably. And our poor 4 y/o is sooo confused.

LOL! My 3yo never knows what meal it is: breakfast, lunch or supper. It is too cute!

[Whisperlily]

When I think of "dinner" I think of a sit-down, large, hot meal. Thanksgiving "Dinner" is always held at about 1pm, as is Easter "Dinner" or Christmas "Dinner."

I think the actual proper terms have changed drastically over time and place, but "Dinner" used to be the hot, home cooked meal at the table during the middle of the day when farmers or ranchers were out in their fields and came home.

If they couldn't come home, they'd pack themselves a "lunch" to eat while out. Something lighter, portable, and sustaining, but not a hot, home cooked meal.

Supper was in the evening at home after all the chores were done.


Now the term "lunch" and "dinner" don't have the same place in our society that they used to have because we are so on-the-go, mobile and eating is anywhere, any which way. Most people now call the midday meal lunch, unless it's a sit down special meal, and they interchangeably call the evening sit-down meal "dinner" or "supper."

FTR, at our house it's breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[ncmomo3]

Evening meal is dinner here, but my parents call evening meal supper and lunch, dinner. Go figure. We never know which meal each other are talking about. :confused::)

[Staci in MO]

But when I moved to St. Louis, people insisted on calling evening meal (which is really supper), dinner.:001_smile:

So nowadays, I never get to eat dinner anymore. I eat lunch at noon and supper in the evening.

[neesek]

I have always thought of dinner as the biggest meal of the day, which for us is in the evening during the week. Lunch is the lighter food we eat at midday.

However, if on days like Sundays, we have our big meal (roast, ham, etc.) after Sunday morning church, then that is dinner and we eat a lighter "supper" in the evening.

[OnTheBrink]

In my world, dinner is the evening meal, or it's the word to describe a holiday meal. Morning meal-breakfast; noon meal-lunch; evening meal-dinner. I hate the word "supper."

[Lorna in the boonies]

In our house, 'dinner' is either a big holiday meal, or what one eats in a fancy restaurant (as in 'going out to dinner').

The midday meal is lunch and the evening meal is supper.

I have been known to call supper 'dinner' on occasion -- but I would never call lunch 'dinner'.

[Mekanamom]

It depends on where you live, or... what book you are reading at the time?

Where I live, we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Supper does not exist. ;) (Except in books.)

[Peek a Boo]

In my world, dinner is the evening meal, or it's the word to describe a holiday meal. Morning meal-breakfast; noon meal-lunch; evening meal-dinner. I hate the word "supper."

This is me to a T also.

dh sometimes uses dinner/supper interchangeably.

we always refer to the noonish meal as lunch.

we were both raised in San Antonio :-)

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

It's the big meal, whichever that is.

But, sadly, we use it interchangeably. And our poor 4 y/o is sooo confused. :confused:

Having Southern relatives and living as Yankees, we do the same. It all depends on my mood and whether I've just cooked lunch (then it's dinner) and cereal is all they're going to get later (that's supper).

Barb

[Kris]

For us -- breakfast, lunch and dinner. My great-grandmother, a grand English lady, the evening meal was "supper" and we thought her quaint. :-D

[Mamagistra]

Whatever you call it, don't call me late for it! ;):lol:

[nestof3]

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner or Supper

(my husband's parents -- from the country -- call lunch "dinner" and the next meal, "supper.")

[JFS in IL]

lunch is noon. Only exceptions are when it is a holiday and the big meal with relatives over is mid-day..then it is dinner.

My in-laws insist on calling the evening meal "supper" and I can't stand it!
"suppertime" is the dog-food Snoopy eats. DOG FOOD is "supper". Plus I HATE the "pp" sound. it is , like "moist".

[Book Crazy]

Just to add some more confusion to the day

The part of England I'm from the meal at mid day is "Dinner"

The evening meal is "Tea"

"Supper" is a snack before bed

[BritAnnia]

Yep, that's the same as I remember. The word lunch was not really used much at all.
Of course, now I'm in NC, the words dinner and lunch are interchangeable and supper refers to the evening meal. Too confusing! :D

Which part of England are you from?

[mcconnellboys]

For me, growing up, "dinner" was the largest meal of the day. Whether that was at noontime or in the evening varied sometimes.

Since it's generally the only meal of the day I really "cook" for my family to eat together, our evening meal is currently called dinner during the week. But we eat our largest meal during the mid-afternoon on the weekends - and that's dinner then....

Regena

[ereks mom]

"Sunday dinner", "birthday dinner", "Thanksgiving dinner", "rehearsal dinner", "dinner-on-the ground", etc. We don't have "dinner" every day. For "everyday" purposes, we eat "lunch" around noon and we eat "supper" in the evening.

Older people around here (mid-60s+), however, often have "dinner" each day about noon and "supper" in the evening. They never eat "lunch", although they might attend a "luncheon", which is not as elaborate as a "dinner" and usually features a speaker or some type of program.

[Plaid Dad]

I'm in the "dinner in the evening or on holidays" camp. "Supper" to me is the light meal you have on occasion after late night church services, concerts, or plays. Sort of like Taco Bell's "fourth meal" but without the hot sauce. Yeah. Like that. ;)

I'm pretty sure my parents' families had dinner at midday - they were farmers - but I grew up in the 'burbs and we ate our main meal in the evening. So "dinner" it was. My dw, on the other hand, calls that meal supper, and her family have been city people for at least three generations. Go figure.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I haven't read the other responses but I was always told that dinner was the biggest meal of the day. Thus, dinner is at noon on Sundays at our house but in the evening every other day.

[Karin]

In our house we define dinner as the large meal of the day, whether it be at lunch time or supper time. Where I grew up, it meant supper, but I've lived in places where it meant lunch. We usually just say lunch or supper to make it clear here.

[Made Unfit]

The part of England I'm from the meal at mid day is "Dinner"

The evening meal is "Tea"

"Supper" is a snack before bed


Same here in Australia, except we call the midday meal 'lunch'.


:) Jackie