What is the difference between lunch and dinner?

[filthiestfis]

I always thought that lunch was what you hat midday and dinner was the evening meal, yet some people describe lunch as dinner and Jamie's school dinners is about lunch! Can someone sort this out for me?

[Surreygirl30]

hello - hope you are ok :-)

[B00]

I've always called all the meals as breakfast, dinner, tea and supper.

And Ive always presumed that dinner to mean the evening meal as the posh peoples version of tea.

[filthiestfis]

Hi Surreygirl30 :o)

[Surreygirl30]

did you get your comp fixed in the end?

[Quizmonster]

One cannot hope to explain the differences better than simply by quoting what The Oxford English Dictionary says about 'dinner'...

"The chief meal of the day, eaten originally and still by the majority of people about the middle of the day, but now, by the professional and fashionable classes, usually in the evening."

It is clear, therefore, that it is a matter entirely of class and - to some extent - geography.

[B00]

It appears QM that we've stumbled into a private conversation 'ere ;-)

[filthiestfis]

I dont even remember my pc being broken Surrey so yeah I must have got it fixed ages ago! You said I didnt have to email you so I took it that u were busy thats all.

[lady_p_gold]

Its a bit of a class thing ....... same as napkins versus serviettes and loo versus toilet etc. Its a personal preference what you call it either is technically correct, however a lot of people would make an instant judgement on your class by what you call it.

[candybar]

lol back to the question everyone. i normally call them breakfast. lunch and tea! merely to avoid confusion with the word dinner! i would use it more as the evening meal/tea than lunch though if i had too. although as was said, its school dinners isnt it and that means lunch! agh!

[Surreygirl30]

you said you had to go to the library and thats why you couldnt mail lol oh well cross wires and all that - nevermind :-( glad you are ok anyway - take care.

[Quizmonster]

They're called school 'dinners' for the very simple reason that the vast majority of pupils who attended state schools when such means were first provided were (still are?) the children of working-class parents. And - as my earlier response made clear - the working folk of Britain do still speak of the main (midday) mean as 'dinner'.

I'm fairly certain that the pupils at Eton, Harrow, Roedean etc do not call their midday meal 'dinner'! Why? Because they're not working-class!

[Quizmonster]

'Meals', not 'means' above.

[filthiestfis]

Im working class and i call evening meals 'dinner'.

[Quizmonster]

That's perfectly fine, Filthiestfis. All it means is that you yourself are not one of the 'majority' referred to by The Oxford English Dictionary in my first answer above.

[Gef]

For fcuks sake not again. I eat when I am hungry and I don't care what it is called.

Apologies to Quizmonster who, once again, has tried to be very helpful.

[electricblue]

Breakfast,dinner and tea,its only the posh who say 'lunch' and the school where you have a packed lunch cos packed dinner dont have the same ring to it!

[choc lover]

I always thought that dinner is a main meal ie meat & veg (no laughing!) some ppl have it during the day as its more suitable for their lifestyle, say if kids have dinner as school meals this means when they get home the parents can have choice of just making a sarnie.....therefore easier and less heavy on the stomach late at night...sure theres better explanation tho !