Late supper/Midnight supper | WordReference Forums

A "late supper" - in Britain or elsewhere - is a supper/dinner that is eaten considerably later than the usual supper/dinner time. I think the ... 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Latesupper/Midnightsupper Threadstarter Silver Startdate Jul2,2011 Silver SeniorMember Chongqing Chinese,Cantonese,Sichuandialect Hi, Weusuallytakedinnerat6p.m.butwehitthehayataround11p.m..Howtodescribethefoodandthingswemighteatwhenwefeelhungryduringthis5hours? Callitalatesupperoramidnightsupper? Thanksalot   Lastedited:Jul2,2011 WestSideGal SeniorMember English,US WithoutmoreinformationIcanonlyguessthatafterdinnerandbeforebedtimeanythingyoumighteatwouldbeasnack.   GreenWhiteBlue Banned TheCityofNewYork USA-English WestSideGalsaid: WithoutmoreinformationIcanonlyguessthatafterdinnerandbeforebedtimeanythingyoumighteatwouldbeasnack. Clicktoexpand... Youwouldguessincorrectly,especiallyfyouwereeatingwithafarmfamilythatwasinthehabitofeatingdinneratmidday,withtheeveningmealbeingcalledsupper. Silverobama,whetherwhatyoueatisasnackorasupperwoulddependinpartonthetypeandquantityoffoodyouate.However,ifyouaregoingtobedanhourbeforemidnight,thefoodyouareeatingcouldnotbea"midnightsupper".   Silver SeniorMember Chongqing Chinese,Cantonese,Sichuandialect Letmebemorespecific: Iusuallyorderabowlofnoodleandacupoflemonteaat10p.m.,soIshouldcallitasnack? BecauseIeatsupperat6p.m.intheafternoonandIfeelhungryat10p.mintheevening.   Lastedited:Jul2,2011 GreenWhiteBlue Banned TheCityofNewYork USA-English Silverobamasaid: Iusuallyorderabowlofnoodlesandacupoflemonteaat10o'clock,soIshouldcallitasnack? BecauseIeatsupperat6o'clockintheafternoonandIfeelhungryat10o'clockintheevening. Clicktoexpand... Ifthemealyoueatat6o'clockisyourmainmealoftheday,youcould--ifyouwished--callthatmeal"dinner".Ifyoueatyourmainmealatmidday,thenthemealat6wouldbeyour"supper." Ifyoucallthemealat6"dinner",thenyoumaycallthebowlofnoodlesa"latesupper".Ifyouwanttokeeptheterm"supper"forthemealat6,thenthenoodlesmaybea"snack"orevena"laterepast"(whichisdefinitelyafancierwordthan"snack".)   Copyright SeniorMember Penang AmericanEnglish Snackorbedtimesnack.   sdgraham SeniorMember Oregon,USA USAEnglish Wealsohavetheterm"midnightsnack"ifit'ssomewherearoundthattime-butyouuse"midnight"inthethreadtitleandthentalkabout10p.m.,soI'mabitconfused.   WestSideGal SeniorMember English,US http://forum.wordreference.com/search.php?searchid=6543209 Itseemsthistopichasbeendiscussedbefore.Checkoutthethreadsabove.   M mplsray SeniorMember Minneapolis,MinnesotaUSA English,USA Silverobamasaid: Hi, Weusuallytakedinnerat6o'clockbutwehitthehayataround11o'clock.Howtodescribethefoodandthingswemighteatwhenwefeelhungryduringthis5hours? Callitalatesupperoramidnightsupper? Thanksalot Clicktoexpand... Iwouldcallsuchamealalatesnack,butIbelievethatsupperisusedforalightlatemealbysomepeoplewhootherwisecalltheeveningmealdinner,andvariousonlinedictionariesagree: FromTheAmericanHeritageDictionary: [1.b.]Alightmealeatenbeforegoingtobed. Clicktoexpand... FromTheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary: 2.anylighteveningmeal,esp.onetakenlateintheevening:anafter-the-theatersupper Clicktoexpand... FromtheWebster'sNewWorldCollegeDictionary: [1.c.]alate,usuallylight,eveningmeal Clicktoexpand... Theseusesaredistinguishedfromtheuseofsupperastheeveningmealforthosewhousedinnerasthenameofthemiddaymeal. Latesupperandlightsupperbothseemtoberedundantinthissense,althoughtheyareused,asaGooglesearchwillshow.   R Rover_KE SeniorMember NorthwestEngland-nearBlackburn,Lancashire BritishEnglish Youwillalsohearmidnightfeast-afavouritesnackyouindulgeyourselfwithoninfrequentoccasionsasaspecialtreat. Rover   HermioneGolightly SeniorMember London BritishEnglish TosticktoyourquestionSilver,Iwouldcallalightmealbeforebed,afteranearlysupper,a"bedtimesnack".ItwascommonintheUKwhenpeopleoftenateveryearlycomparedwithnowadays.Itwouldnotnormallyhavebeencooked.Ifwehavehadaveryearlysupperbecausewearegoingout,wemighthavesoupandasandwichwhenwegetbackhome,andIsupposewe'dstillcallitabedtimesnack. Amidnightfeasthasaquitedifferentmeaningtome:itinvolvesgettingoutofbedinthemiddleofthenighttoeatsweetthingssuchascakeoricecream.Ialwaysassociateitwithstoriesaboutboardingschools,whenitwouldbeplanned,butifyoucouldn'tsleepandgotuptoraidthefridgeforany'goodies'youmightsaynextmorningthatyouhadhadamidnightfeast,perhapstoexplainwhyalltheleft-overdesserthaddisappeared.Orifsomeoneheardyouandgotuptoseewhatwasgoingon,theymightsay'I'lljoinyouinyourmidnightfeast!' Hermione   Lastedited:Jul2,2011 I Inglip SeniorMember Dubai,UAE English-UK ThenamesofmealsissomethinghugelydebatedinEngland.Everyhouseholdcallsitsomethingelse. Iwouldpersonallycallwhatyouwilleatat10pmasnack.   P passola92 SeniorMember Palermo italian-italia Guys, sorry,Istillcan'tunderstandwhata"latesupper"isinBritain.UnfortunatelyIhavenocontexttoprovide. ThesentenceIhaveisjust"IwenttoalatesupperatBarbara's". Couldyouexplain?   JustKate SeniorMember Indianapolis,Indiana,USA English-US A"latesupper"-inBritainorelsewhere-isasupper/dinnerthatiseatenconsiderablylaterthantheusualsupper/dinnertime.Ithinkthedefinitionof"laterthantheusualsupper/dinnertime"wouldvarymorebypersonthanbyAmEvs.BE.I,forexample,usuallyeataround7:30,soIwouldn'tconsideranythingmuchbefore9:30or10tobe"alatesupper."Mysisterwhoeatsdinnerpromptlyat5-6p.m.woulddisagree. Butifyouwantageneralrule,I'dsayanythingthathasenoughfoodtobeconsideredamealratherthanasnackandthatiseatenafteraround9:30wouldprobablybeconsidered"late"bymostpeople.   P passola92 SeniorMember Palermo italian-italia Gotitnow!Thanks   SimonTsai SeniorMember TaiwaneseMandarin IamwonderinghowEnglishnativeswouldinterpret,withoutfurthercontext,'supper'inthefollowingsentence: Whatdoyouhaveforsupper?​Coulditmean'bedtimesnacks'?   Y Youlittleripper! SeniorMember Australia AustralianEnglish SimonTsaisaid: IamwonderinghowEnglishnativeswouldinterpret,withoutfurthercontext,'supper'inthefollowingsentence: Whatdoyouhaveforsupper?​Coulditmean'bedtimesnacks'? Clicktoexpand... ItdependsonwhetherthepersonaskingthequestionisaBritish,AmericanorsomeotherEnglish-speakingperson.Itcouldmeanasnackbeforebed. HermioneGolightlysaid: Amidnightfeasthasaquitedifferentmeaningtome:itinvolvesgettingoutofbedinthemiddleofthenighttoeatsweetthingssuchascakeoricecream.Ialwaysassociateitwithstoriesaboutboardingschools,whenitwouldbeplanned,butifyoucouldn'tsleepandgotuptoraidthefridgeforany'goodies'youmightsaynextmorningthatyouhadhadamidnightfeast,perhapstoexplainwhyalltheleft-overdesserthaddisappeared.Orifsomeoneheardyouandgotuptoseewhatwasgoingon,theymightsay'I'lljoinyouinyourmidnightfeast!' Hermione Clicktoexpand... ThekidsinEnidBlyton’sStClareandMalloryTowersseriesoftenhadmidnightfeasts.   RM1(SS) SeniorMember Connecticut English-US(Midwest) SimonTsaisaid: IamwonderinghowEnglishnativeswouldinterpret,withoutfurthercontext,'supper'inthefollowingsentence: Whatdoyouhaveforsupper?​Coulditmean'bedtimesnacks'? Clicktoexpand... Formeitcouldonlybetheeveningmeal. Youlittleripper!said: ThekidsinEnidBlyton’sStClareandMalloryTowersseriesoftenhadmidnightfeasts. Clicktoexpand... 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