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Supper stems from the word “sup,” and it’s also related to the German word for soup (“suppe”). According to the English Language & Usage Stack Exchange, families would put on a pot of soup to simmer throughout the day and eat it later in the evening, which was also known as “supping” the hot soup.
Who says supper instead of dinner?
North America. The distinction between dinner and supper was common in North American farming communities into the twentieth century, especially in the Mid-West and the American South, though today, most Americans consider the two synonyms and strongly prefer the term dinner for the evening meal.
Who came up with the word supper?
Supper, in terms of word origins, is associated with the evening. It comes from an Old French word souper, meaning “evening meal,” a noun based on a verb meaning “to eat or serve (a meal).” Fun fact: the word soup, also entering English from French, is probably related.
Why is it called supper instead of dinner?
The evening meal was called “supper,” which was much lighter and more informal. Instead of cooking more food, people traditionally just ate soup or leftovers from dinner. “Supper” became “dinner” because evenings became the only time working class families were able to gather for a meal.
When did the word supper originate?
supper (n.) mid-13c., soper, “the last meal of the day,” from Old French soper “evening meal,” noun use of infinitive soper “to eat the evening meal,” which is of Germanic origin (see sup (v. 1)). Applied since c. 1300 to the last meal of Christ.
Why do Midwesterners say supper?
Regionally it appeared that supper was used most in the Midwest and the South. Supper is more specifically a lighter evening meal. Rooted in the word ‘to sup,’ it comes from farming traditions.
Why do Southerners say supper?
Back then, the heavy noon meal was known as “dinner” and the light evening meal was called “supper.” It makes sense that in the south, where a large percentage of the population farmed, we referred to the meal we ate at night as “supper.” (That’s also a reason Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are typically called ” May 24, 2018.
Is supper a Southern word?
Wikipedia explains that while most Americans use ‘dinner’ and ‘supper’ interchangeably, the two words can also make a distinction between a light, informal late-evening meal eaten with family (supper), and a grander affair (dinner). It also helps explain why ‘supper’ has become a distinctly southern word.
Is supper a Southern term?
It’s not necessarily an American South or Midwestern tradition, but instead is a farming families’ trademark. Because the Southern and Midwestern states were heavily agricultural, supper was implicitly the lighter, late evening meal and dinner was the larger, main meal of the day.
Why do Southerners call lunch dinner?
And on NPR, food historian Helen Zoe Veit points out that in the past, especially in farming communities, the noon meal was the biggest one of the day. Which would explain why, in certain parts of the south, the word ‘dinner’ has persisted as a reference to the noon, rather than evening, meal.
Is supper and dinner the same thing?
Dinner and supper are both used to refer to the main meal of the day, and especially to that meal as eaten in the evening. Supper is used especially when the meal is an informal one eaten at home, while dinner tends to be the term chosen when the meal is more formal.
Is saying supper posh?
Just one in twenty surveyed (5 per cent) called the meal supper, which was later deemed to be a sign someone is posh. It is an alternative to ‘afternoon tea,’ that many began adopting for their main evening meal. Supper has always referred to a lighter evening meal, and comes from the old French word souper.
Why is dinner the largest meal?
Large-Dinner Benefits Making dinner your largest meal may help you lose more fat and less muscle, resulting in better overall body composition at the end of your diet.
What time is dinner in Mexico?
The most important meal of the day is lunch (comida) and normally served between 1 and 3 p.m. Supper (cena) is served late, usually after 8 p.m. and is a light snack, although in urban areas supper can be an elaborate affair eaten at restaurants.
Why is lunch called dinner in England?
Originally Answered: Why do British people refer to lunch as dinner? Because dinner is dinner followed by tea and supper. Dinner is the main meal of the day what ever time it is served. So if your main meal is at lunch time then that’s dinner.
Which meal is dinner?
In many modern usages, the term dinner refers to the evening meal, which is now typically the largest meal of the day in most Western cultures. When this meaning is used, the preceding meals are usually referred to as breakfast, lunch and perhaps a tea.
What time is supper in USA?
Dinner = From 5:00pm – 10:00pm. Supper = From 7:00pm – 12:00am.
Do Northerners say supper?
Just over a third of the participants preferred the use of the word “tea”, while only five per cent referred to the meal as “supper”. As may be expected, “dinner” was the overwhelmingly preferred term used in the South, while those in the North preferred to say “tea”.
Is the word supper still used?
The answer: “dinner” is the standard name for the main meal. You can’t go wrong referring to an evening meal this way. The word supper is still used today but is not as common.
