Supper and dinner confusion
Posted by Lynn on December 19, 1997 at 15:37:33:
In response to Come to dinner; I mean supper; Well let's just eat!, written by ElaineL on December 18, 1997 at 13:55:18
] The book made the point that meal times got to be rather confused and an occasion of snobbery/embarrassment if you were found to be eating too early. Seems London ate later and later, but some of the country elite still preferred the 5 o'clockish time. Just one more point of contention between the two worlds.
There is a good example of this in The Watsons, when Tom Musgrave stops by and the Watson ladies are getting ready for supper:
no entreaties for his staying longer could now avail; for he well knew that if he stayed he would have to sit down to supper in less than ten minutes, which to a man whose heart had been long fixed on calling his next meal a dinner, was quite insupportable.
I've always gotten a kick out of this little passage.
Thanks for the description of the meals and times!
Lynn
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