Do British call it supper or dinner?


Supper is used especially when the meal is an informal one eaten at home, while dinner tends to be the term chosen when the meal is more formal. In some dialects and especially in British English, supper can also refer to a light meal or snack that is eaten late in the evening.

What do British people call supper?

Some people in Britain and Australia refer to their main evening meal as “tea” rather than “dinner” or “supper”, but generally, with the exception of Scotland and Northern England, “tea” refers to a light meal or a snack.

Why do English people call dinner supper?

Derived from the French word ‘souper’, meaning ‘to sup’, it’s the least common term today but for centuries was the later, lighter meal after the midday dinner, with Shakespeare’s characters eating it anywhere between 5pm and 9pm.

Do posh people say dinner or supper?

If you call your evening meal ‘supper’ you’re officially posh, according to survey. A nationwide study into our the eating habits of British people has settled an ongoing argument about what our evening meal should be called.

Why do English people call dinner supper?

Derived from the French word ‘souper’, meaning ‘to sup’, it’s the least common term today but for centuries was the later, lighter meal after the midday dinner, with Shakespeare’s characters eating it anywhere between 5pm and 9pm.

Do posh people say dinner or supper?

If you call your evening meal ‘supper’ you’re officially posh, according to survey. A nationwide study into our the eating habits of British people has settled an ongoing argument about what our evening meal should be called.

What do Brits call the evening meal?

The evening meal is usually called ‘tea’, ‘dinner’ or ‘supper’. What is a traditional British Dinner? A typical British meal for dinner is “meat and two veg”.

Why do Brits call supper tea?

It combined snacks and a hearty meal and was usually served at about 6pm. This eventually evolved into the lower classes calling their midday meal “dinner” and their evening meal “tea”, while the upper classes called their midday meal “lunch” and referred to the evening meal as “dinner”.

What time is supper UK?

Supper is also considered a hot or cold snack before bedtime but again more a working-class term when the evening meal was served around 5 p.m. meaning by bedtime many would be a little peckish. Take away: This is certainly a modern word as it is a meal bought and brought home (to-go, carry-out).

Is tea supper in England?

Across England as a whole, the majority (57%) call it “dinner”, while just over a third (36%) opt for “tea”. The remainder either call it something else (including 5% who say “supper”) or answered “don’t know”.

What time is supper vs dinner?

What Time Is Supper? Supper is always an evening meal. The specific hour of the evening depends on when you’re feeling hungry and how late you stay up! You could have an early supper at 5pm or a late supper at 10pm.

What do northerners call supper?

The survey found ‘tea’ is unsurprisingly more prevalent in the North of the country (53 percent of Northerners call it tea), while ‘dinner’ is more likely to be used in the South (66 percent refer to it as dinner).

What is British tea time?

Afternoon Tea originated as a “bridge” between the light lunches and late dinners served in the early 1800s. Afternoon Tea usually occurs between 3 and 4 pm. It’s an elaborate affair with finger sandwiches and an array of scones, cakes, macaroons and other bits to nibble.

What do British people call tea?

We all know the Brits love a good cup of tea, but did you know that tea can also be called a cuppa. This slang word came from the phrase “cup of tea” which was shortened to “cuppa tea” and eventually just cuppa.

What do Scottish people call dinner?

They found that 74 per cent of Scots surveyed call their evening meal dinner. Only 19 per cent think it should be called tea while six per cent said it should be called supper. The findings set Scots apart from our neighbours in the north of England where the evening meal is often referred to as tea.

Does dinner mean lunch in England?

In the UK, dinner would normally refer to the main meal of the day, irrespective of the time of day at which it is eaten. It could, for example, be eaten around midday (“lunch time”!), early evening or later evening.

What do northerners call supper?

The survey found ‘tea’ is unsurprisingly more prevalent in the North of the country (53 percent of Northerners call it tea), while ‘dinner’ is more likely to be used in the South (66 percent refer to it as dinner).

What time is supper vs dinner?

What Time Is Supper? Supper is always an evening meal. The specific hour of the evening depends on when you’re feeling hungry and how late you stay up! You could have an early supper at 5pm or a late supper at 10pm.

Do British people call dinner tea?

Across England as a whole, the majority (57%) call it “dinner”, while just over a third (36%) opt for “tea”. The remainder either call it something else (including 5% who say “supper”) or answered “don’t know”. However, despite dinner’s overall victory, the data shows there are clear geographical differences.

What do Scottish people call evening meal?

They found that 74 per cent of Scots surveyed call their evening meal dinner. Only 19 per cent think it should be called tea while six per cent said it should be called supper. The findings set Scots apart from our neighbours in the north of England where the evening meal is often referred to as tea.

Why do English people call dinner supper?

Derived from the French word ‘souper’, meaning ‘to sup’, it’s the least common term today but for centuries was the later, lighter meal after the midday dinner, with Shakespeare’s characters eating it anywhere between 5pm and 9pm.

Do posh people say dinner or supper?

If you call your evening meal ‘supper’ you’re officially posh, according to survey. A nationwide study into our the eating habits of British people has settled an ongoing argument about what our evening meal should be called.

Scroll to Top