dinner同supper有咩分別

Dinner 解 晚餐(evening meal)， 主餐(chief meal of the day)和正餐(formal meal), 和飲宴大餐(banquet)。 Dinner 不一定在晚上進食的，中午也有。(中古時代是在早上吃呢！)

Supper 解 晚餐(evening meal), 通常指普通的，不是特別豐富的晚餐。

在現今社會，supper 和 dinner 大致都通用為晚餐，不過如果想表示較豐富的，例如聖誕或新年大餐，或者請人食豐富晚飯，會用 dinner。如果想表示普通或較輕的(light)晚餐，會用 supper。

During the mid 1800s, mention is made of up to five meals a day, particularly among the wealthier classes both North & South (but especially in the Northern states). These meals were Breakfast, Luncheon, Tea, Dinner and Supper. Both Dinner and Supper parties were mentioned in letters and memoirs.
The dinner party was a more formal affair, that lasted for up to three hours (!), featuring many courses and agonizingly long conversations. It took up most of the late afternoon and evening. The supper party was usually given during a dance or entertainment, and consisted of a light meal late in the evening.
上文是摘錄自：
The American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating & Drinking
by the Editors of American Heritage Magazine
Pub 1964 by the American Heritage Publishing Co, Inc.

簡單地翻譯如下：
在19世紀初葉，美國的富人，尤其是北方的州份，廚師要為主人預備五餐，就是早餐、午餐、茶點、主餐和晚餐。上文所指的dinner是主餐，一般要享用三小時之久，即大概由下午3時至6時，有多道菜奉上，席間還有冗長的對話。而supper只是在晚上，提供一些小食和飲品，配合跳舞或是消閒活動。就寢之前，不宜食得過飽吧。






2009-12-28 22:59:27 補充：
不是說笑，原來美國南北戰爭時期，南方人是在中午12:00食dinner。而在下午6:00食supper的。

dinner : 晚餐;正餐

supper : 晚餐,晚飯

其實冇分別.....- -英文字好多都同meaning架啦~~

冇....................