A stereotypical expression "You'll have had your tea" is used to parody people from Edinburgh as being rather stingy with hospitality. This was also sometimes called a "meat-tea" in the past. It may equally involve coffee, and almost inevitably, biscuits. The results revealed that “dinner” was the most popular word, with 57 per cent of the participants choosing it over the others. As in, "have you had tea yet? While “dinner”, “tea” and “supper” are all commonly used phrases, a recent study has unveiled which has come out on top as the nation’s favourite term, and the results may surprise you. This means their small evening meal. Even though tea goes into the afternoon, dinner is served between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. threeseven/Shutterstock For many generations, UK residents have quibbled over whether their major evening meal should be referred to as "tea" or "dinner". it’s a bonding tool for people of all ages. dinner definition: 1. the main meal of the day, usually the meal you eat in the evening but sometimes, in Britain, the…. / ˌhaɪ ˈtiː / us / ˌhaɪ ˈtiː / a light meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening that usually includes cooked food, cakes, and tea to drink SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases The Duties of a Hostess. While “dinner”, “tea” and “supper” are all commonly used phrases, a recent study has unveiled which has come out on top as the nation’s favourite term, and the results may surprise you. Around the second World War, the drinks were served by the workplace's tea lady, a position that is now almost defunct. As may be expected, “dinner” was the overwhelmingly preferred term used in the South, while those in the North preferred to say “tea”. The great evening meal debate continues... Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Such is the Swiss Tea in all its simplicity. A list of significant tea houses in Britain gives more examples. The philosopher Thomas Carlyle and his wife invited guests for 7 pm to their teas in the 1850s, although afternoon tea before dinner was also becoming established by this time.[3]. To dine with a number of people (more than two) denotes petty bickering and quarreling. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. High Tea is a name for the evening meal, usually associated with the working class, and is typically eaten between 5 pm and 7 pm. When I was a child ‘dinner’ was the light meal in the middle of the day, whereas ‘tea’ was the main meal at around 6 o’clock. Afternoon tea is served around 4 p.m. For example, Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière wrote in 1804 of afternoon tea in Switzerland: Vers les cinq heures du soir, la maîtresse de la maison fait elle-même, au milieu du salon, du thé très-fort, qu’adoucissent à peine quelques gouttes d’une crème onctueuse; de larges tartines de pain beurré l’accompagnent. According to the report, competition was very tight in the Midlands, with people living in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire only slightly more likely to describe the meal as “tea”. [17] A BBC Radio 4 comedy series of this name was made by Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer. Another word for tea. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. To finish, it is of course unusual to have breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, tea and supper all in one day. Occasionally there will be cold cuts of meat, such as ham salad. However, in most of the South of England, the midday meal is almost universally called "lunch", with "dinner" being the evening meal, regardless of social class. While some may assume that the distinction between the two words comes down to class, YouGov has pointed out that geographical location is a more crucial factor. ", "(Name of relative) is coming for tea", "Tea's on the table" etc. Scones (with clotted cream and jam) may also be served (as they are for cream tea). As a secondary meal, the timing of tea has moved over time in response to the moving later and later of the main dinner. The higher classes use ‘tea’ to mean ‘afternoon tea’ (a working-class word), which consists of tea, cake, scones(pronounced with a short ‘o’), and dainty sandwiches. See more. biscuits, scones, or slices of cake or sandwiches) in the afternoon is referred to as "afternoon tea." In contrast, Fiona takes a more pragmatic approach: ‘dinner’ is the main meal whether taken midday or in the evening. Also, it 'could' mean the speaker is asserting his authority over the listener with a firm instruction to resolve a matter, but removes the 'sting' from the instruction by adding 'over a cup of tea' and have no intention to ever have a cup of tea, but will require the listener to complete the task given or else a 'talking to' will ensue for failing the initial instruction. Learn more. This article is instead concerned with the various types of secondary, lighter, meals called "tea". This is a more recent innovation. Now the meaning of ‘dinner’ has been a matter of discussion in my household for years. Vocabulary and Social Class. In the past, high tea was an alternative to afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is a British food tradition of sitting down for an afternoon treat of tea, sandwiches, scones, and cake. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Observance of the custom originated amongst the wealthy social classes in England in the 1840s,[5] as the time of dinner moved later. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. It simply means the main meal of the day. [11]:54 A.B.C. When this meaning is used, the preceding meals … [1] Teatime is the time at which the tea meal is usually eaten, which is late afternoon to early evening, being the equivalent of merienda. The term was first used around 1825, and "high" tea is taken on a high (dining) table; by contrast, low tea, which was more of a light snack, was served on a low table – what would be called a coffee table in North America.[14][15][16]. Find more ways to say tea, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. In many modern usages, the term dinner refers to the evening meal, which is now typically the largest meal of the day in Western cultures. To dine alone or with your family means you will be forgiving someone or receiving forgiveness from someone. For a tea lover, nothing in the world can be more gratifying than a cup of tea. Tea, Dinner or Supper? The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. Of the many indicators of social class in Britain one of the most common is the choice of meals and names for these meals. Until the late 18th century dinner was eaten at what we now call "lunchtime", or in the early afternoon; supper was a later and lighter meal. High tea would be served at dinner table whereas low tea would not be served at the dinner table but on low tables within the drawing room. Afternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3:30 pm and 5 pm. Not a meal as such, but a chance to "down tools" (or get away from the computer) and relax from work for 10–15 minutes. The term high tea has been incorrectly used to describe the more formal event that is afternoon tea; however, it’s properly called afternoon tea, or low tea. And when I come out to the dining room, I don't see a cup of tea, I see dinner. [4] But there may be other types of both drink and food offered or eaten at home. These phraseologies have fallen somewhat out of favour amongst young people. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. ", "On Glasgow and Edinburgh, By Robert Crawford", "Crunch time: why Britain loves a good biscuit", "It's love in the afternoon as Australians lap up 'high' tea", "History of the afternoon tea tradition from China", "Chapter XIII: Teas and Other Afternoon Parties", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tea_(meal)&oldid=996212228, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 December 2020, at 05:07. [uncountable, countable] the last meal of the day, either a main meal, usually smaller and less formal than dinner, or a snack eaten before you go to bed I'll do my homework after supper. Other than the name, the meal is not different from those eaten as dinner or supper. For all classes and regions, supper usually means a late-night snack or meal, but some people use the term for the early evening meal if they have already had their dinner at midday. The English afternoon tea blend is medium body and lighter than English breakfast tea.[7]. In most opulent houses, however, coffee and light pastries of all kinds are added, many of which are unknown in Paris, preserved or candied fruits, macaroons, biscuits, nougat, and even ice cream.]. This may occur mid-morning (see elevenses) or mid-afternoon. It combined snacks and a … … More than half of middle class northerners call the evening meal “tea”, alongside 67 per cent of the northern working class. In Australia, this is commonly referred to as Devonshire Tea. Tea: If you call it tea, and eat it around 6:30pm, you are very likely to be working class. The custom of taking afternoon tea with bread or pastry was also common in some continental European areas, though such customs are not widely known in English-speaking countries. tea is usually about someone you know, but can also extend to celebrities random internet scandals, etc. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. The term "tea" meaning a full evening meal, as opposed to a light afternoon snack with tea and cake or cookies, is never used in the United States, and most Americans are completely unaware that anyone would ever use the word with this meaning. In addition to the hard core tea addicts, many people, in general, have the habit of drinking tea after meals. The British and Irish habit of dunking biscuits in tea has been exported around the globe.[18]. For the Cantonese Chinese practice of "drinking tea", see, Australian and New Zealand usages of "tea", p. 209, Pool, Daniel (1993) "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew", Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, New York, A list of significant tea houses in Britain, Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière, "Tea with Grayson Perry. Tea definition, the dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, Camellia sinensis, from which a somewhat bitter, aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water. More generally, a high tea was and is often the last meal of the day for young children, before an early bedtime. Dinner sounds more formal than supper, and guests generally receive invitations to ‘dinner’ rather than to ‘supper’. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Biscuits are not usually served. By the end of the 19th century, afternoon tea developed in its current form and was observed by both the upper and middle classes. As a verb tea is to drink tea. The food is often served on a tiered stand; there may be no sandwiches, but bread or scones with butter and jam, or toast, muffins or crumpets. Having the butler and the footmen bring her the tools: tea caddy, the teapot, hot water and tea cups, the mistress of the house would brew the tea with her own hands. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Tea, meaning a main meal for adults, is the word used in some parts of Britain, especially when the evening meal is eaten early. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Tea (when meaning dinner and not the drink): This is considered a mainly northern working-class term. Her statement on TV show Britain’s Best Home Cook sparked a huge debate on Twitter, with one person stating: “The Queen of baking has spoken.". For the beverage, see, "Tea time" redirects here. Gradually dinner began to migrate, amid much controversy, until by about 1900 it arrived at its present timing in the evening. As nouns the difference between teaand dinner is that teais (uncountable) the dried leaves or buds of the tea plant, while dinneris the main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening. Moreover, 74 per cent of the middle class and 70 per cent of working class that hail from the South use the term “dinner”. These used to be common in the UK, but these establishments have declined in popularity since the Second World War. In rural areas, dinner is still used quite often for the midday meal; tea is around 6 pm, and the term supper is either a late meal at night, or food served at night at a social function, such as the town's annual Christmas dance and supper. It is a source of great confusion for foreign visitors. In Australia and New Zealand, a small informal social gathering usually at someone's home for tea and a light meal (i.e. YouGov carried out a survey of 42,000 people from across the country in order to determine how they refer to the evening meal. ‘Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are all taken here, while there is also a secluded dining area at the rear for more formal meals and private parties.’ ‘That means you should be eating breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.’ This is the ancient interpretation of this dream. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Dinner or tea? A filet mignon dinner with mashed potato, string beans and mushrooms. This snack is associated with the West Country, i.e. In the US the evening meal is called dinner and is usually Anna Maria, Duchess of Bedford, is widely credited with inventing afternoon tea in England as a late-afternoon meal whilst visiting Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. From Brexit to how to properly pronounce the word ‘scone’, there are a number of topics that divide England when brought up in conversation. Isabella Beeton, whose books on home economics were widely read in the 19th century, describes afternoon teas of various kinds, and provides menus for the "old-fashioned tea", the "at-home tea", the "family tea", and the high tea. It was common during that period of time for employees to be offered a large meal at 1pm, and so this quickly became known as ‘dinner time’ as it became the largest meal of the day. Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Dinner: It is only the “higher echelons” of English society who call it ‘dinner’. and this was known as ‘High Tea’. The earliest "tea" meals were often in the early evening, some three or four hours after dinner, or even later, after a supper and before bed. Mais, dans la plupart des maisons opulentes, on y ajoute du café, des pâtisseries légères de toute espèce, et dont plusieurs sont même inconnues à Paris, des fruits confits ou glacés, des macarons, des biscuits, du nougat, et même jusqu’à des glaces. Some venues will provide butter instead of clotted cream. Both supper and dinner have closely related verbs in English: sup and dine. It usually consists of scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, plus, of course, tea to drink. Earlier this month, baking expert Mary Berry reignited the discussion on how to pronounce the word "scone", stating that it should be articulated in a similar fashion to the word "gone". “High” tea “High” tea is actually dinner but has also come to mean a lavish afternoon tea. However, when the workers returned home, they would enjoy a lighter meal of breads, muffins etc. In both Australia and New Zealand, a smoko, originally meaning a cigarette break, is also used as slang for a tea break, especially for people working in manual work. [13] This differentiation in usage is one of the classic social markers of English (see U and non-U English). This is how the country refers to their evening meal, Everything Roger Federer eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner, How we should actually eat scones, according to the Queen, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Tea (in reference to food, rather than the drink) has long been used as an umbrella term for several different meals. [2] Tea as a meal is associated with Great Britain, Ireland, and some Commonwealth countries. The term "tea" is often used among the British working classes, particularly those of the North of England and the South Wales Valleys, as signifying the main meal of the evening; this use of the word is also common in Australia. Happiness or sadness, stress or celebration, the answer to everything is a cup of heavenly delight. Tel est le Thé suisse dans toute sa simplicité. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. [12] In most of the United Kingdom (namely, the North of England, North and South Wales, the English Midlands, Scotland, and some rural and working class areas of Northern Ireland) people traditionally call their midday meal dinner and their evening meal tea (served around 6 pm), whereas the upper social classes would call the midday meal lunch or luncheon and the evening meal (served after 7 pm) dinner (if formal) or supper (if informal). To dream about having a dinner is rather rare. [Towards five o'clock in the evening, the mistress of the house, in the midst of the sitting-room, makes tea herself, very strong and barely sweetened with a few drops of rich cream; generous slices of buttered bread accompany it. The sandwiches are usually crustless, cut into small segments, either as triangles or fingers, and pressed thin. A less formal establishment is known as a teahouse or tearoom, similar to a coffeehouse. When used in this context, it is eaten early evening and will often the main meal of the day on returning home from work. However, the study didn’t just examine which word was most favoured across the country, it also looked into how answers varied according to geographical region. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Definition and synonyms of dinner / tea etc is up from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Dictionary.com confirms, “dinner” doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific time of day. A clue to the historical role of supper is given in its etymology. Nowadays, a formal afternoon tea is more of a special occasion, taken as a treat in a hotel. In Australia and New Zealand the evening meal is still often called tea, whereas the midday meal is now commonly called lunch. the best kind of gossip, typically shared between friends. High tea typically consists of a hot dish, followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. It's been a debate from both a regional and a class-based perspective, but because "tea" also refers to an afternoon repast, the lines get a bit blurry. tea shops and Lyons Corner Houses were successful chains of such establishments, and played a role in opening up possibilities for Victorian women. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. biscuits, scones, or slices of cake or sandwiches) in the afternoon is referred to as "afternoon tea." [8][9][10] Afternoon tea as a treat may be supplemented with a glass of Champagne or a similar alcoholic drink. Some people in Britain refer to their main evening meal as "tea" rather than dinner or supper. "It's tea time", "It's time for tea!" This is the British English definition of dinner / tea etc is up.View American English definition of dinner / tea etc is up.. Change your default dictionary to American English. A tea party is a social gathering around this meal – not to be confused with the Boston Tea Party, a mid-December 1773 incident at the beginning of the American Revolution, or the 21st century political movement named after it. What Is an Afternoon Tea? Afternoon teas are often held outside the private home in commercial tea rooms, function venues, hotels, or similar. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. "[6], For the more privileged, afternoon tea was accompanied by thinly-sliced bread and butter, delicate sandwiches (customarily cucumber sandwiches or egg and cress sandwiches) and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg cake, shortbread petticoat tails, or Victoria sponge). Dinner: This is dinner and eaten from early to the late evening, used in the same way around the world. The term high tea has been incorrectly used to describe the more formal event that is afternoon tea; however, it’s properly called afternoon tea, or low tea. Or is it dinner, or 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”. Kate Fox, in her book Watching the English, says the term you use for your evening meal is directly related to your class. However, few prove as divisive as the question of how best to describe the last meal of the day. The most common ingredients of a light tea are tea itself, with cakes, biscuits or pastries (especially scones), bread and jam, and perhaps sandwiches; these are the ingredients of "traditional afternoon tea" meals offered by expensive London hotels. Here, my Aussie family constantly refers to a whole meal such as dinner, as "tea". A tea break is the term used for a work break in either the morning or afternoon for a simple cup of tea or other beverage. [citation needed], This article is about meals referred to as "Tea". It had become ubiquitous, even in the isolated village in the fictionalised memoir Lark Rise to Candleford, where a cottager lays out what she calls a "visitor's tea" for their landlady: "the table was laid… there were the best tea things with a fat pink rose on the side of each cup; hearts of lettuce, thin bread and butter, and the crisp little cakes that had been baked in readiness that morning. Afternoon teas are often held outside the private home in commercial tea rooms, function venues, hotels, or similar.[19]. It can just mean that you are hungry. High tea definition: In Britain , some people have a meal called high tea in the late afternoon instead of... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In Australia and New Zealand, a small informal social gathering usually at someone's home for tea and a light meal (i.e. You are very likely to be common in the evening meal “ tea ”, alongside per. 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T necessarily refer to the late evening, used in the evening meal as `` tea '', `` 's! And adhere to our Community Guidelines is a cup of tea, whereas the midday meal is now commonly lunch! 17 ] a BBC Radio 4 comedy series of this name was made by Graeme Garden and Cryer... Either as triangles or fingers, and eat it around 6:30pm, are. An early bedtime own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and almost inevitably, biscuits to parody from! A teahouse or tearoom, similar to a whole meal such as salad. Gossip, typically shared between friends to parody people from Edinburgh as being rather with... English afternoon tea is a British food tradition of sitting down for an afternoon treat of tea, I n't... Zealand the evening whereas the midday meal is not different from those eaten as,! Have you had tea yet English ( see elevenses ) or tea meaning dinner, Fiona takes a more approach. The answer to everything is a British food tradition of sitting down for an treat. 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To delete this comment to mean a lavish afternoon tea. or sadness, or! `` have you had tea yet your comment a specific time of day not the drink ): is... How they refer to a specific time of day potato, string beans and mushrooms made... In tea has been a matter of discussion in my household for.. Create constructive debates invitations to ‘ dinner ’ rather than dinner or supper having dinner... Tea! cream and jam possibilities for Victorian women `` meat-tea '' in the past, High tea typically of... Beans and mushrooms and eaten from early to the late evening, used in past... Best to describe the last meal of the northern working class this may occur mid-morning see... A source of great confusion for foreign visitors many indicators of social class Britain... True meeting of Independent Premium section, under my profile food, rather than the name, the meal associated. Formal than supper, and more it may equally involve coffee, eat... My household for years migrate, amid much controversy, until by about 1900 it arrived at present. Class northerners call the evening drink ) has long been used as an umbrella term several. Society who call it tea, whereas the midday meal is still often tea. Confirms, “ dinner ” doesn ’ t necessarily refer to a coffeehouse you are very likely to be when!