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american supper
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Where does the phrase american supper come from?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Thanks, shaneystar. I had seen that in my search, but it was all I could find and was more a definition than an explanation about where the term came from. As an American living in England, I find the term "American Supper" (to describe what we Americans call a "potluck") to be such an odd phrase.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
I have never heard of this term .We use "potluck" here as a term for a sort of makeshift meal ..leftovers or whatever we can find in the fridge ! I quite agree ..it is an odd term and a search through some of my dictionaries comes up zilch as well.
Perhaps our good friend Clanad in America will be along later or Quizmonster ,our fountain of knowledge, with a better explanation.
Perhaps our good friend Clanad in America will be along later or Quizmonster ,our fountain of knowledge, with a better explanation.
The earliest recorded use of the phrase 'American supper' dates back only to the 1920s. At that time, it meant a social function where guests brought food and drink with a view to auctioning/selling it to other guests, specifically to raise funds for a particular cause. In other words, the food could perhaps be taken away rather than consumed there, which is what I imagine happens at a 'potluck' meal.
As to why 'American', I guess the concept originated in the USA, where there is probably more of a tradition of organised events in communities...what with apple bees, quilting bees and so on in past times. (They are constantly having "town meetings" in The Simpsons, for example, even today.)
As to why 'American', I guess the concept originated in the USA, where there is probably more of a tradition of organised events in communities...what with apple bees, quilting bees and so on in past times. (They are constantly having "town meetings" in The Simpsons, for example, even today.)
Min, 'apple bees' - like spelling bees, quilting bees etc - were occasions when a social group came together to participate in an activity to entertain or achieve some end. Apple bees happened in farming/orchard communities and involved everyone working together to get the apple-harvest in on time...ie they all moved from farm to farm, helping each other.
BBW, are you trying to tell me that The Simpsons isn't a documentary programme?
BBW, are you trying to tell me that The Simpsons isn't a documentary programme?