Supper ?

**LeftEyeNine** · 07-03-2012, 14:32

Oh no, this is not a thread of recipes with google-images-supported "which bovine i've consumed for some snack" content.

A friend of mine and I are in a conflict over what/when a "supper" is.

I'm almost sure that I was taught in my English days that supper was what you'd have before dinner, in the afternoon, supplied with snacks and light beverages.

He claims that supper is the meal where soup is served in the nighttime.

My pride is at stake and you're getting me out of this.

Thanks.

**Visor** · 07-03-2012, 14:41

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supper

You're more correct.

**spankythehippo** · 07-03-2012, 14:42

Well, your friend is kind of right about the soup part. But that isn't what supper is, since the word "supper" is only a derivation. I believe the term is souper. So, you are right, supper is a meal.

**johnhughthom** · 07-03-2012, 14:45

It's one of those words that has different meanings around the UK. My usage of supper is for a light meal an hour or so before bed time. Usually not involving soup.

**Arjos** · 07-03-2012, 14:54

In the midwest, supper is dinner and dinner is lunch, go figure them all out :P

**rajpoot** · 07-03-2012, 15:49

Yeah this is something I've always been confused about too.
I remember learning that lunch was in the afternoon and dinner was in the night. Then I got my hands on a bunch of Enid Blyton books, and it got confusing.

**Andres** · 07-03-2012, 16:00

I thought it was just another word for dinner. Guess I would be right in some regions of NativeEnglishSpeakersLand

**Major Robert Dump** · 07-03-2012, 16:10

I always thought it meant an "afternooner" with a lady friend. No wonder I never get past the second date

**Martok** · 07-12-2012, 13:30

Here in Minnesota, "supper" is the last meal of the day.

Originally Posted by Arjos

In the midwest, supper is dinner and dinner is lunch, go figure them all out :P

Actually, "dinner" seems to be more a generic term around here.

If it does have a specific definition at all (at least in this area), it's generally referring to one's biggest meal of the day. So "dinner" can be lunch, or it can be supper, depending on which meal is going to have more food served.

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Bottomline: Varies from culture to culture and neither of us is wrong ?

Yep, pretty much!