what's the diferent between dinner and supper?

:?:what's the diferent between dinner and supper? please help me.
when i see the movie , someone tell me supper is formal than dinner, they use supper less except they have a big party. isn't it? what do you think? i want to know. thanks very much:-) .

:?:what's the difference between dinner and supper? please help me.
when i see the movie , someone tell me supper is formal than dinner, they use supper less except they have a big party. isn't it? what do you think? i want to know. thanks very much:-) .

Hi,

What you guess is correct that 'supper' is usually a big meal while dinner is not.

In the US, it's a matter of geography. For example, I live in the Midwest, and "dinner" and "supper" are used interchangeably - they mean the same thing: the third and final (and usually the largest) meal of the day. My husband is from the South, and there "dinner" is a meal eaten in the afternoon, and "supper" is the final meal of the day.

Now to me, "lunch" is the afternoon meal. So I asked my husband "if you have dinner in the afternoon, when do you have lunch?" He explained that in the South, "lunch" was the afternoon meal you had at school, or perhaps described a quick hamburger you grabbed while running errands. "Dinner" was a proper, sit-down afternoon meal. :roll:

I hope I didn't just confuse you further. :-)

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Originally Posted by Ouisch

In the US, it's a matter of geography. For example, I live in the Midwest, and "dinner" and "supper" are used interchangeably - they mean the same thing: the third and final (and usually the largest) meal of the day. My husband is from the South, and there "dinner" is a meal eaten in the afternoon, and "supper" is the final meal of the day.
Now to me, "lunch" is the afternoon meal. So I asked my husband "if you have dinner in the afternoon, when do you have lunch?" He explained that in the South, "lunch" was the afternoon meal you had at school, or perhaps described a quick hamburger you grabbed while running errands. "Dinner" was a proper, sit-down afternoon meal. :roll:
I hope I didn't just confuse you further. :-)

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There are also differences in the UK, partly regional and partly from social class and history. As a Welshman of working class roots I never used lunch until I was much older and living in England. The mid-day meal was always dinner. I think that lunch has now become the most common word throughout the UK. There were two meals later in the day - tea in the late afternoon, which was a light meal, and supper in mid/late evening, which was also a small meal. This was general over the whole of the UK, but changing social trends have almost extinguished these two meals, and now it is the norm just to talk about a snack, something to eat or a meal. Dinner is dying out rapidly as anything other than a formal evening meal, usually for when you eat out in a restaurant or invite friends to your home for a meal, when it is normally substantial and of at least 3 courses.

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Originally Posted by ashma

:?:what's the diferent between dinner and supper? please help me.
when i see the movie , someone tell me supper is formal than dinner, they use supper less except they have a big party. isn't it? what do you think? i want to know. thanks very much:-) .

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Traditionally, dinner is the main meal of the day.

:-) Thank you very much, I almost can tell the two words' difference through your explaination, thanks again.;-)

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Originally Posted by DavyBCN

There are also differences in the UK, partly regional and partly from social class and history. As a Welshman of working class roots I never used lunch until I was much older and living in England. The mid-day meal was always dinner. I think that lunch has now become the most common word throughout the UK. There were two meals later in the day - tea in the late afternoon, which was a light meal, and supper in mid/late evening, which was also a small meal. This was general over the whole of the UK, but changing social trends have almost extinguished these two meals, and now it is the norm just to talk about a snack, something to eat or a meal. Dinner is dying out rapidly as anything other than a formal evening meal, usually for when you eat out in a restaurant or invite friends to your home for a meal, when it is normally substantial and of at least 3 courses.

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Well, I think it's even more unclear than that. I'm from the Midlands of England, and 'dinner' is, and always has been, the evening meal to me. In our region, "What are you having for tea?" and "What are you having for dinner?" are used almost interchangeably for the main evening meal by everyone - and it can be either a light or large meal. On Sunday, you have dinner at midday (which is a main meal), and 'tea' in the evening (which is a light meal). On every other day, you have 'lunch' at midday (which is a snack or light meal). Some people now say 'Sunday lunch' though, or they may have nothing at midday, and have 'Sunday dinner' in the evening.

My mother is Irish, and their main meal is either 'tea' (large) or 'supper' (light) in the evening, and 'lunch' at midday. They only use 'dinner' for a formal meal.

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Originally Posted by Coffa

Well, I think it's even more unclear than that. I'm from the Midlands of England, and 'dinner' is, and always has been, the evening meal to me. In our region, "What are you having for tea?" and "What are you having for dinner?" are used almost interchangeably for the main evening meal by everyone - and it can be either a light or large meal. On Sunday, you have dinner at midday (which is a main meal), and 'tea' in the evening (which is a light meal). On every other day, you have 'lunch' at midday (which is a snack or light meal). Some people now say 'Sunday lunch' though, or they may have nothing at midday, and have 'Sunday dinner' in the evening.
My mother is Irish, and their main meal is either 'tea' (large) or 'supper' (light) in the evening, and 'lunch' at midday. They only use 'dinner' for a formal meal.

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A lot of what you say is very familiar to me as well. I just felt that I had probably confused people enough.:-) And please, let's not even mention brunch.