UKFF Census 2024 - Results!

[Ronnie]

33 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

The boring etymology part of it all is that "dinner" historically meant the largest meal of the day, rather than a meal at a specific time;

No, the etymology isn't boring! (Or I'm boring for finding it fascintating, I suppose.)

The transition kicks in once the wealthy start having townhouses. They can no longer have their main meal (“dinner”) in the early afternoon when they'll be out and about, so the main meal often gets pushed back to later in the day. It's replaced by a smaller meal; a luncheon. “Dinner” therefore becomes something very often eaten in the evening, although “supper” remains if the evening meal is small (as its etymological link with “soup” would suggest).

The size of the meal traditionally determines whether it's a lunch / dinner / tea / supper. But plenty of people link the name with the time rather than the size, which is why we increasingly often hear of that monstrous meal which blocks up the toilets on Boxing Day being referred to as a “Christmas lunch”. Yuck. And even a carvery site will write this:

 

[The King of Old School]

I've always found it to be where someone lives.

If you're from the north and you call tea "dinner" then you should expect a slap around the head.

Supper was always a 8/9pm snack as a kid, like my Grandad calling around with a bag of chips after he had been the pub and giving me enough to make a chip butty from them.

Edited Friday at 11:18 AM by The King of Old School

[Lorne Malvo]

It's bap/roll/cob where I'm from. 

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

59 minutes ago, Lorne Malvo said:

It's bap/roll/cob where I'm from. 

Posh. 

[Carbomb]

3 hours ago, Lorne Malvo said:

It's bap/roll/cob where I'm from. 

It's white and gold where I'm from

[SuperBacon]

3 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

It's white and gold where I'm from

It's a Christmas film.