Lunch, dinner, tea.

[gavroche]

On my wife's side of the family, there seem to be only one word for both meals: they are both called dinner which can be very confusing. Yet, it is very simple really. A mid-day meal is called Lunch and an evening meal is Dinner. Tea is a drink made with boiling water. What could be simpler?
At least, there is no confusion about breakfast, every body seem to agree on that one.

 

[JtB]

I agree with you, but as a child growing up in Stockport, the mid-day meal was Dinner and the evening meal was Tea.

 

[Cycleops]

It's really a class thing. Tea is just that, in the afternoon, maybe with a biscuit but Oop north means a meal with /without the drink.
Or there was the term “High” tea is actually dinner but has also come to mean a lavish afternoon tea. In the past, high tea was an alternative to afternoon tea. It combined snacks and a hearty meal and was usually served at about six.
Dinner is a meal served in the evening but was once used as a term for the midday meal.
As class divisions have become blurred these terms have become interchangeable and vary on how you were brought up or your location.
I'm sure King Charles would give you the correct definition ☺️ but Queen Nicola's in Scotland would vary.

 

[stephec]

Breakfast, dinner, tea.

At school the midday meal was dished out by dinnerladies.

 

[Slick]

It kind of depends where I am if I'm honest.

At work, its lunch, but at home its dinner and we have our tea later.

 

[ianrauk]

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

 

[vickster]

Breakfast
Lunch
(tea, cup of, slice of cake, glass of bubbles)
Dinner or Supper

 

[Beebo]

Tea is useful when differentiating a meal for children

 

[cyberknight]

I agree with you, but as a child growing up in Stockport, the mid-day meal was Dinner and the evening meal was Tea.

same for me in south derbyshire

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I'm another for breakfast, dinner, tea and then supper aswell!

 

[cyberknight]

I'm another for breakfast, dinner, tea and then supper aswell!

Hobbit Meal Times​

Resembling traditional English meal times, hobbits enjoy up to seven meals roughly every two to three hours. When they're home in the Shire, hobbits keep a strict schedule revolving around food. If you want to dine like a hobbit, these are the names and meal times of each feast:

• Breakfast - 7 a.m.
• Second Breakfast - 9 a.m.
• Elevenses - 11 a.m.
• Luncheon - 1 p.m.
• Afternoon Tea - 3 p.m.
• Dinner - 6 p.m.
• Supper - 9 p.m.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Dinner, is in the middle of the day, as I see it
If it is the 'L word', why do the adherents to it, not have a 'chr*stmas L'??

 

[vickster]

Dinner, is in the middle of the day, as I see it
If it is the 'L word', why do the adherents to it, not have a 'chr*stmas L'??

They do if it’s at lunchtime

 

[potsy]

I also grew up in Stockport, and completely agree it's...
Breakfast.
Dinner.
Tea.

Unfortunately my southern girlfriend does not agree and we have dinner in the evening these days, and lunch at dinner time!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Brunch indicates that it's between breakfast and lunch. If it were between breakfast and dinner it would be brinner. I think that settles most of the controversy.