4. Having dinner

Culture counts

Read the following text, it comes from a question and answer website, like Ask.com or Yahoo answers. A Spanish student living in the UK is asking about meals and meal times.

When do we say it's “lunch”, “dinner” or “supper”?
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Questions

When do we say it's “lunch”, “dinner” or “supper”?

Is there a particular difference between supper and dinner?

And in what circumstances lunch becomes dinner?

As a foreigner all this is very confusing, I sometimes hear that a noon-time meal is dinner, and the evening meal is called supper but then there is also lunch around noon and dinner in the evening. At least I know that breakfast is what I eat at day-break! - JorgeUK, Apr 25

Answers

Dinner: The Oxford dictionary defines dinner as the main meal of the day, taken either around midday or in the evening. Most dictionaries leave open the question of “time of day”. This is because there is a great deal of regional and social class variation. In some parts of the UK (and also in some other parts of the English-speaking world) when people take their main meal in the middle of the day it is called dinner. I personally think that dinner and supper are synonyms.

Supper: Supper is a lighter evening meal. The root of this word "to sup", it means eat or drink liquid food, like soup. It probably comes from countryside traditions.

Lunch: Lunch is used specifically when referring to a midday meal. It is the midday (noon) equivalent of supper, it's also a lighter and less formal meal than dinner. - AdminSr Apr 25

Comments
  • For working-class families in Liverpool, in the North of England, dinner was traditionally the noon-time meal, and there is an afternoon or evening meal called Tea. However, this is changing because people move about and some try to speak "correct" English and sound more "Southern". Ha ha! - Robby Apr 25
  • Is this BrE? In my version of AmE lang/culture (normal and mainstream language) whatever the size of the meal, 'lunch' is midday and 'dinner' or 'supper' is in the evening. - Matt Apr 25
  • There's actually quite a variation in different regions of the US. It's quite common to hear Dinner as the noontime meal in many areas of the American South. In Texas some regions have Dinner at 12:45 and Supper at 6 pm. Young generations use "lunch" for noon meals and have dinner in the evening. – Shirley10 Apr 26
  • Sometimes dinner is a big special meal instead of lunch or supper, like Sunday dinner or Thanksgiving dinner. When I was young we only used supper but now only dinner. – CapAm Nov 28
  • And on Christmas day, most people sit down to a Christmas dinner - at lunchtime! - Robby Dec 2

Open sign on a door

Imagen de Gary Simmons en Flickr. Licencia CC

 

Let's practise writing! The best way to develop vocabulary is by using the language in context.

Look at the photo and describe what is happening.

people in the pool

Imagen en Banco de imagenes Ministerio Educación. Licencia CC

Here are some old people at the swimmimg-pool.

Some are swimming and splashing in the pool. They're having a good time. Two women are chatting and a man with sunglasses is listening to their conversation. The woman with the pink swimsuit is sitting on a chair. The lady with the black bikini is looking for something in the garden.

Now you can do the same with the next picture. Remember to use the present continuous tense.

Woman making bubbles

Imagen de Rubio en Flickr. Licencia CC

Do it yourself

A cover version: Lemon Tree by Fools Garden

 

In pop music a cover song or cover version or cover is a new version by another artist. These are normally amateurs.

Listen to this cover by Nathaniel's Batch 16, it's quite good, and complete the activity below. (Check the Indian Accent!)

 

Listen, read and complete the lyrics with the words in the box.

I'm   here in a boring room
it's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm   my time, I've got nothing to do
I'm   around , I'm waiting for you
but nothing ever happens, and I wonder
I'm   around in my car
I'm   too fast, I'm   too far
I'd like to change my point of view
I feel so lonely, I'm   for you
but nothing ever happens, and I wonder
I wonder how, I wonder why
yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
and all that I can see is just a yellow lemon tree
I'm   my head up and down
I'm   , turning, turning, turning, turning around
and all that I can see is just another lemon tree
Sing! da, da da dee da, 

(listen to the rest of the song and enjoy!)

Imagen de creación propia con worditout

 

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