What time is "dinner/supper time" for you?

[sparksals]

We use dinner/supper pretty interchangeably, although dinner implies a more formal meal.  I never call Christmas meal, Christmas Supper.   I would call beans and burgers on the grill supper on a hot summer day.  Roast and yorkshire pudding on a sunday night is dinner. 

Midday meal is Lunch.  I know there are some people who call it dinner, but that is pretty rare, if non-exisitent in my circle.

[angilamae]

I don't think I have ever used the word supper in my lifetime except now and when I sing Little Shop of Horrors.  Now I usually eat between 6-7 but I used to eat after 8 and sometimes my boyfriend wants to eat as early as 4 so I am all over the place.  This is my evening meal whichever word you choose (which is my biggest)

[Bijou]

The choices could include 'other'.  Mine is anywhere between 5 and 7.  I have eaten as early as 4:30, but rarely and I don't like to.

[cicero]

DS and I (that's who i live with), eat at different times because we have different schedules.

I get home from work at around 7 PM (more or less) and that's when i eat. I got to bed between 9-10 PM.

when i was a child growing up, we had supper every nigth at exactly 6 PM. you had to be there and be on time.

[m2kbug]

I prefer to have dinner between 5 and 6, but with the kids and work, mostly we eat by about 6 or 6:30 and sometimes as late as 7. 

I think a good dinner date time is 7, maybe 8 depending on the circumstances, but prefer 7.

[DaisyG]

I put 7-8pm as that's when DH & I normally eat when he's not working late as some nights he gets back at 8:30pm and we eat together then.

Growing up, I would call the evening meal 'tea' - thinking 'dinner' was more formal and 'supper' is a late night snack. Now I use 'dinner' for the main meal of the day and call the evening meal tea if we're just having a small sandwich. This use of 'tea' is of course different from afternoon tea or high tea which is very formal and in the afternoon rather than the evening though both come from the same origin.

[DottyG]

You couldn't tell from the times in the poll that the OP was asking about your evening meal?

I answered her by giving the time I eat that meal as well.

I also gave additional trivia that appears to be useful in knowing, as at least one other person here uses the word "dinner" as a noon meal as well. It also has served to create a spin-off thread.

The distinction between the two was something that my sweet little, elderly grandpa was quick to tell you. Calling it by the names he used reminds me of him and how he, as a small town, country person, was confused a bit when we had to move him to an Assisted Living place in the big city. And how he was confused at first by why the were telling him "dinner" was going to be at 5 that night.

[DottyG]

If I had my way? I'd probably be eating at around 7 or 8.  But I also wouldn't be waking up until about 11 or 12.  So my schedule would be:

1pm:  Lunch
7pm:  Dinner
1am:  Second Dinner

Oh! You and me both!

[siamesecat2965]

I'm all over the map. If I'm not working my second job, I prefer to eat later, around 7-7:30. So I have a small snack when I get home, and that holds me over until I've had a chance to relax, and get things going.

If I do have to work, I go from job #1, to job #2, and have to eat about 4:30 whch I hate. But I don't ahve any choice as I leave work at 4ish, and start the other one at 5. What usually happens is I'll have soup or something light, but hten when I get home about 9:30, I'm starving.

and on the weekends, again, it depends. Many times I don't eat at any set time, so I may have a late breakfast, lunch, which means a later dinner.