BS: Dinnertime in America

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 04:01 AM

According to Doctor Johnson, dinner is "the chief meal; the meal eaten about the middle of the day".

Nowadays, as I only eat two meals a day. I have a late Breakfast (break my fast), then have my dinner at teatime or later. I don't think I'd use the word dinnertime as it's too ambiguous.

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 01:21 PM

Years ago, My wife and I were in Leith, Scotland at our dinner time (American, about 6pm) and went into a likely looking dining room.
The food variety was large, excellent quality, and my wife and I dined well and happily. The pork chops were excellent.
They called it high tea.

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 07:04 PM

And if you'd gone into a chip shop you could have had a supper at any time of day. (fish supper = fish and chips etc)

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: gnu
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 07:24 PM

I am eating a BBQd steak as I type this. 20:25H. I call it delicious.

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 08:05 PM

8:25PM?
When I was employed, dinner with da boss or sightseers from the head office (Tranna) often was at 8PM, after drinks starting at 5PM. I would be well-sozzled by the time we sat down, until I started by having a pre-prandial dinner before the affair started.

In Spain, the evening meal was served in hotel dining rooms starting at 10:00PM or so. In the Madrid area, before tapas spread there, I was lucky to know of a so-called American cafe that served food earlier, and I would snack there.

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Aug 10 - 04:18 AM

>And if you'd gone into a chip shop you could have had a supper at any time of day. (fish supper = fish and chips etc<

... & nowadays of course we have the widespread phenomenon of the "All-Day Breakfast" ~~ surely inspired by G K Chesterton's dictum that if you want to eat well in England you should have breakfast 4 times a day.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: BS: Dinnertime in America
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Aug 10 - 02:13 PM

In N. Am, the all-day breakfast has spread widely; some restaurants serve little else. In Calgary, the Pancake House and the Egg something-or-other, among others.

One reason may be that the eatery can get by with short-order cooks (fast, simple food only). Pancakes and waffles, eggs, bacon or sausage and toasted bread are the usual offerings here.