Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and here’s question for you: If you were invited to “supper,” would you know what time to show up?
Well, first of all, it’s a good deduction that if your friend says “supper,” they’re from the southern United States, or mayyybe the UK. “Dinner” and “supper” are typically used to refer to the last meal of the day, but they convey slight distinctions about the amount you can expect to eat. “Dinner” is traditionally the heaviest meal of the day, which, among 19th century farming families, generally took place around noon. “Supper,” derived from the French word for “evening meal,” was generally a lighter meal later in the day.
So if your Southern friend invites you to supper you can probably assume you’ll be having a light meal at their house around 6 PM.
That’s your Grammar Minute!