8089 replies to this topic

[fred666]

I wouldnt say no in the second lot of pics either, we all have an odd facial expresion caught on camera now and then...

[Mangham54]

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner....


how hard can it be?

Easy, brekky, dinner, tea

its ok, i dont mind north people being wrong... just helping

In what way are northern folk wrong??? At least we keep our distance away from the 'cheese eating surrender monkeys".

Breakfast, Dinner, Tea

[techieboy]

Peasants. One has breakfast, followed by morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and then supper. Unless, of course, one is going to a formal dinner.

[techieboy]

Tea, Dinner or Supper?

Vocabulary and Social Class

Of the many indicators of social class in Britain one of the most common is the choice of meals and names for these meals.

It is a source of great confusion for foreign visitors.

Here is the answer as written by Kate Fox in her exquisite book "Watching the English" published by Hodder 2004.

What do you call the evening meal?

And what time do you eat it?

If you call it "tea", and eat it at around half past six, you are almost certainly working class or of working class origin. (If you have a tendency to personalize the meal, calling it "my tea", "our/us tea" and "your tea" - as in "I must be going home for my tea", "what's for us tea, love?" or "Come back to mine for your tea" - you are probably northern working class.)

If you call the evening meal "dinner", and eat it at around seven o'clock, you are probably lower-middle or middle-middle class.

If you normally only use the term "dinner" for rather more formal evening meals, and call your informal, family evening meal "supper" (pronounced "suppah"), you are probably upper-middle or upper class. The timing of these meals tends to be more flexible, but a family "supper" is generally eaten at around half past seven, while a "dinner" would usually be later, from half past eight onwards.

Foreign visitors, and indeed English natives uncertain about the background of their hosts, may find it helpful to check the timing of the meal and treat a general open invitation "oh, come as you please" or "whenever") with caution.

It is not uncommon for English people to use the phrase "come round for a meal" in order to avoid the pitfalls of using vocabulary as a social identifier. A typical evening meal would be held at "8 for 8.30" (you should arrive at 8pm prepared to eat at half past) or "eightish" which is slightly more flexible but amounts to the same thing.

I should add that there is a general belief that traditional family sit down meals are less common nowadays, replaced by meals in front of the television, by a browsing mentality "snacking" from the fridge or the sweet shop, or a series of individual meals taken over a period of time as busy families eat when or where they can before rushing off to some other activity. But that's society not language. You could however look at the implications and origins of the "power snack", "the working breakfast", the "grazing mentality", "brunch" and the "all day breakfast". Not to mention the late night curry....

[turbobob]

Peasants.

One has breakfast, followed by morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and then supper. Unless, of course, one is going to a formal dinner.

I thought you suvern shandy drinkers had elevsensies? supper is what you have before you go to bed, after tea time. Honestly you suvern softies know nowt.

[Mangham54]

Peasants.

One has breakfast, followed by morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and then supper. Unless, of course, one is going to a formal dinner.

I thought you suvern shandy drinkers had elevsensies? supper is what you have before you go to bed, after tea time. Honestly you suvern softies know nowt.

Eee dear... Such a simple matter creating so much discussion... I'd better not mention proper beer?!?!?!?!

A peasant - Haha, A prole - bloody unlikely, a norherner -most definitely!

[AliM]

More frickin chips!! I swear they look for me!

[Crazyfrog (Fab)]

More frickin chips!! I swear they look for me!

will keep some for you nest week ( in goose fat) called pommes pont neuf

[AliM]

The scariest bit is the woman eating them is staring at me while doing so!!

[Zoobeef]

The scariest bit is the woman eating them is staring at me while doing so!!

Maybe shes on here. Aimy?!? Haha

[Boombang]

Peasants.

One has breakfast, followed by morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and then supper. Unless, of course, one is going to a formal dinner.

The main meal of the day, taken either around midday or in the evening

And Heston's dinner was fcuking A1, so I believe him.

[fred666]

This smiley >>> I've never seen so many members on one single forum use this smiley so much, its like people think it gives instant authority over whoever your replying to, and theresliterally some posters who will use this EVERY single post they make.

Edited by fred666, 18 March 2011 - 11:33 PM.

[Zoobeef]

This smiley >>>

I've never seen so many members on one single forum use this smiley so much, its like people think it gives instant authority over whoever your replying to, and theresliterally some posters who will use this EVERY single post they make.

Erm, whats your problem

[fred666]

This smiley >>>

I've never seen so many members on one single forum use this smiley so much, its like people think it gives instant authority over whoever your replying to, and theresliterally some posters who will use this EVERY single post they make.

Erm, whats your problem

I should be out on the p*ss but im skint Thats a big problem when its friday

Edited by fred666, 18 March 2011 - 11:40 PM.

[Zoobeef]

This smiley >>>

I've never seen so many members on one single forum use this smiley so much, its like people think it gives instant authority over whoever your replying to, and theresliterally some posters who will use this EVERY single post they make.

Erm, whats your problem

I should be out on the p*ss but im skint Thats a big problem when its friday

Do what i do and buy a bottle of port. Drink it then go out and spend nothing.

Sadly i have no friends so just finished a nice bottle of dows midnight port but am sat in on my own

[AliM]

I hear that! Just sank half a bottle of vino in the 50 mins I've been home from work!! My flat mate Lisa's out partying booooooo

Edited by AliM, 18 March 2011 - 11:52 PM.

[Zoobeef]

I hear that! Just sank half a bottle of vino in the 50 mins I've been home from work!! My flat mate Lisa's out partying booooooo

Should of popped round here, we both wouldnt of looked as sad then

[Boombang]

More to the point, why weren't you out partying Ali? Saving it all for Thursday?

[AliM]

More to the point, why weren't you out partying Ali? Saving it all for Thursday?

Because I didn't get home from work til 11pm! No one wants to play catch up at that time of night!! Lol

Looking forward to Thursday, please make me eat before the jeagers start!

[Crazyfrog (Fab)]

bloody weather .............. working as a xtra this lunch means no play with the vx