# What do you call the evening meal? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2015, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374 "2015-05-06T10:18:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/41 "2015-05-06T20:08:42Z")
_Hey, Grandpa, what’s for supper?_ I grew up in the midwest with one midwestern parent and one Appalachian one. We called the evening meal supper. As an adult, I live in the midsouth. In urban areas, it’s mostly dinner. Once you leave the city, you’ll hear supper more often. IME, the divide is more rural vs. urban rather than what part of the country. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/42 "2015-05-06T21:02:31Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Breakfast - huge meal to start the day > Dinner - Big meal at about mid-day > Supper - light meal in the evening This is the traditional pattern where I come from. Boarding schools, the army and the folks who can afford it, like myself, still follow it. I would hate my belly to bulge with food when I’m supposed to relax and I don’t see the point of a substantial meal after 6 or 7 o’clock either. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/43 "2015-05-06T21:04:51Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Can someone explain ‘Tea’? I can understand it being used as a teatime, traditionally 4pm boost of tea and some snack, usually well before Dinner/Supper. But one other posted indicated that it may be used for a full meal? Does Tea in such a use have anything to do with the drink tea? Perhaps the letter ‘T’ meaning table or something? It does come from the drink tea, yes. There’s all sorts of fascinating social history associated with it, if you’re interested in that sort of thing, but it generally just means a (usually) light meal in the late afternoon. Depending on your definition of “light”, of course – like dinner, it’s something that some people have tended to define by the time of day, rather than what it consists of. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/44 "2015-05-06T22:02:17Z")
It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Casa Doorhinge. Of course, breakfast (food) can be eaten at all three meals. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/45 "2015-05-06T22:02:59Z")
I call it “Darryl”. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/46 "2015-05-07T00:38:03Z")
Breakfast, lunch and supper are my usual meal words. “Dinner” is a fancier version of supper (e.g. at a nice restaurant or in phrases like “dinner party”). ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/47 "2015-05-07T01:27:56Z")
Dinner - largest meal of the day. Usually in the evening, but can be midday on holidays or Sunday. Supper- a smaller evening meal, eaten either when dinner was at midday or after seeing a movie or a concert etc. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/48 "2015-05-07T01:34:47Z")
Dinner - largest meal of the day. Usually in the evening, but can be midday on holidays or Sunday. Supper- a smaller evening meal, eaten either when dinner was at midday or after seeing a movie or a concert etc. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/49 "2015-05-07T02:37:03Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > The Last Supper Jesus Christ! Why didn’t I think of that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/50 "2015-05-07T02:40:29Z")
The word dinner isn’t part of my vocabulary at all. We have: Breakfast Brunch Lunch Supper. No dinner. ETA: Breakfast and brunch need not be on the same day. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/51 "2015-05-07T02:46:15Z")
I said supper because that’s what it was called in my house when I was growing up\*. If I go out for an evening meal at a restaurant or someone else’s house, that’s dinner. \*and my mom would sing “OH it’s suppertime, yes, it’s supper time, the very best time of day!” accompanied by a small dance. ---
**Author:** ![Teach-me-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Teach-me-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach-me-not)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/52 "2015-05-07T03:55:47Z")
Breakfast or _tiffin_ in the morning, lunch at noon, dinner at night. Lots of Indians have a more substantial meal in the morning and evening/night, usually called [tiffin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffin). When it’s a light meal, I just call it an (evening) snack. In Tamil, my mother tongue, all meals are called just that, “meal”. When a distinction is needed, you could say morning meal etc, but it’s usually needed in everyday conversations. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/53 "2015-05-07T05:41:14Z")
For my family, it’s always been “supper,” in the everyday casual sense. Except a holiday meal, or when going out to a dressy function, in which case it’s “dinner.” You wouldn’t say “Thanksgiving supper.” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/54 "2015-05-07T06:15:07Z")
Dinner, but dinner is also a holiday meal at any time. My great-grandmother served Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at something ridiculously early like 10:30 or 11:00, and that was dinner. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/55 "2015-05-07T15:02:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Me too, but I have known people who have dinner for lunch and supper for dinner. When do they eat lunch? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/56 "2015-05-07T15:07:55Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I said supper because that’s what it was called in my house when I was growing up\*. If I go out for an evening meal at a restaurant or someone else’s house, that’s dinner. > \*and my mom would sing “OH it’s suppertime, yes, it’s supper time, the very best time of day!” accompanied by a small dance. She DID tell you what that was all about, right? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/57 "2015-05-07T15:10:38Z")
Breakfast 2nd breakfast Elevenses Luncheon Afternoon tea Dinner Supper [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Est7seheM) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/58 "2015-05-08T01:45:59Z")
Speaking as a city slicker, “Dinner” is the large meal brought out course by course into the Dining Room by the servants at 8PM, for which I am wearing white tie. “Supper” is the hot bird and cold bottle enjoyed after eleven, often in the company of another “hot bird.” _How pleasant it is to have money, heigh ho! How pleasant it is to have money!_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/59 "2015-05-08T02:42:30Z")
Tea. But everyone around me calls it dinner. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374/60 "2015-05-08T03:12:41Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > She DID tell you what that was all about, right? I think it was a Snoopy dance? 🙂 She also did a wonderful goonie bird impression. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-evening-meal/719374.md?page=4)