What is the differwnce between "Dinner" and "Supper"?

Answer 1

The answer depends not only on WHERE you live but what the general PRACTICES were in the sort of community you grew up in (working class, rural, etc.)

But for the most part each word focuses on something different -- "dinner" is about the TYPE of meal more than the time of day; "supper" is more about the TIME of the meal.

"Dinner" is frequently used for the MAIN meal of the day (The emphasis on size... or sometimes on how 'fancy' it is, though the two may be related... think of a "four-course dinner".).

"Supper" is commonly used for an EVENING meal (emphasis on TIME not size).

So, if the general practice in your area (or subculture) is to eat the main meal in the evening, "supper" and "dinner" may generally be interchangeable. But even then, you may sometimes vary the practice and have a big dinner -- esp. a traditional SUNDAY dinner-- early in the afternoon.

Notice that in regions or (sub)cultures where the main meal ("dinner") is eaten at midday or early afternoon, the evening meal ("supper") is generally thought of as a LIGHT meal. But that's more the result of when these folks tend to eat their large meal. Suppers CAN be large.


Here's an article that does a good job at sorting out some of the regional, historical and class differences behind the various uses:
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20010501

Answer 2

This answer is correct, " Dinner is the main meal of the day and supper is a light meal at the end of a day."

Dinner was served anywhere from 11:00 to 2:00 pm, supper around 5 pm to 7 pm.

In todays' fast past culture, very few has time to follow the etiquette of our forebears. Unless you are rich.

Answer 3

I don't think we'll ever agree! History apart, and speaking from the UK, when I dine, I dine at about 8 pm. Or am taken out to dinner of an evening. I breakfast in the morning, and partake of a light luncheon at midday. Supper will be a fairly light meal that I will make when I get home from work - I may have friends round to share it, or if I invite them to dinner, it will be a more formal meal. This is in the south. However, "School Dinners" are always lunch!

If you watch the northern soap "Coronation Street", you will find that they have dinner at midday, then have tea at supper/dinnertime! "Tea" then means a meal. At other times, to have tea in the traditional sense means drinking tea in the afternoon with sandwiches and cakes; it will be about 3-4 pm.

Answer 4

Back in the early part of the last century, Dinner was used to refer to the noon meal. Supper was the evening meal. As time went on, most of the country started using them interchangeably. Some people in the south and midwest still differentiate between the two, but those people are fewer and fewer.

Answer 5

In cultures where 'Supper' means the last meal of the day, 'Dinner' usually means the meal before (what people usually call Lunch) When this is not the case, the last meal of the day is just called Dinner.

Answer 6

Breakfast,brunch,lunch,tea,dinner,supper it's a British thing really dinner is the main meal supper light before bed.

Answer 7

Supper is the meal you eat in the evening on Sundays. All other days, the evening meal is called Dinner.

Answer 8

Dinner is what lunch used to be called. Supper is the evening meal.

Answer 9

Supper is a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime. Dinner is the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday. However, in certain regions of the US (like the New England), the words are used interchangeably for the main evening meal.

Answer 10

Dinner is lunch and supper is the last meal of the day