Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

But that's like saying there's a difference between "Pop" and "Soda."

Neither word ever passes my lips.

But no, it's not. Some days dinner is lunch. Some days dinner is supper. And in some parts of the country, it is assumed dinner means lunch unless otherwise specified.

[Cen1aur 1963]

I'm more of a breakfast person. The saying about it being the most important meal of the day is true. If I eat a filling breakfast, I'm usually not hungry until dinner. I skip lunch. I'll usually bring something to snack on, but not a full course lunch.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

But no, it's not. Some days dinner is lunch. Some days dinner is supper. And in some parts of the country, it is assumed dinner means lunch unless otherwise specified.

[LikeASista]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Some days dinner is lunch. Some days dinner is supper. And in some parts of the country, it is assumed dinner means lunch unless otherwise specified.

So, what is the difference between "dinner" and "supper"? My mom told me (when I was a little girl) that the two terms both mean the same thing, ... except that dinner was the term used by the high classed, sophisticated, city slicker types, ... while supper is the term used by "country folks".

Really?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Fixed it for you. ("Dinner" means the main meal of the day, whether at mid-day or at night, and for lots of people in these parts, dinner traditionally = lunch.)

If you're talking about eating out, I love to eat breakfast out, and I particularly love anywhere that serves breakfast all day.

Otherwise, I'd have to say I prefer a really good lunch (dinner ) and a light supper. No sandwiches at lunch -- I want a real meal.

I'm the same way. I love to eat breakfast out but rarely eat it at home. At work, I'll just eat some cheese or a hard boiled egg or something for breakfast, but I LOVE breakfast out.

I eat my biggest meal at lunch almost always. It stems from my first jobs being in hospitals, when I was single. Hospitals have robust lunches (what most people would eat for supper/dinner) so I could get roasted chicken, a veggie, a salad and a carb (potatoes usually) for less than $5 back then. It didn't make sense to cook for one at home after work so I got used to a good hot lunch. I haven't broken that habit. I do cook dinners/suppers when the kids are here but I don't eat a lot during that evening meal. When they aren't here, I don't always eat anything then... or I'll grab something light.

I am not a sandwich fan.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by LikeASista

So, what is the difference between "dinner" and "supper"? My mom told me (when I was a little girl) that the two terms both mean the same thing, ... except that dinner was the term used by the high classed, sophisticated, city slicker types, ... while supper is the term used by "country folks".

Really?

It's a regional and cultural thing. Dictionary.com defines "dinner" as:

1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.
2. a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.

For an etymology, it says: "c.1300, from O.Fr. disner, originally "breakfast," later "lunch," noun use of infinitive disner (see dine). Always used in Eng. for the main meal of the day; shift from midday to evening began with the fashionable classes."

The Wiki actually has a fairly good article on the various meanings of "dinner," which begins:

Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main meal.

When I was growing up and in the area where I lived, "dinner" almost always meant the mid-day meal, which tended to be a big meal. I think it's safe to say, though, that in much if not most of American culture, supper has become the big meal of the day, while lunch has become lighter.

In the day-to-day usage I observe where I live (and among people of a similar cultural background to me), "dinner" has typically come to mean the main meal on a Sunday, holiday or other special occasion. So in other words, most days at my house we eat breakfast, lunch and supper. We have dinner on Sundays and special occasions. (And Sunday dinner is always the mid-day meal.)

That's why I say it's not the same thing as "pop" and "soda" -- both of which refer to the same thing. "Lunch" always means the mid-day meal, while "supper" always means the evening meal. "Dinner," on the other hand, can refer to the mid-day or evening meal, depending on context, region/culture and usage of the speaker.

Originally Posted by AGDee

I am not a sandwich fan.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one.

[DrPhil]

I think MysticCat and I are cousins.