USAGE: Meals [was: RE: Re(2): USAGE: Pop, smearcase, kolaches]

Barry Garcia <Barry_Garcia@...> wrote:
> fortytwo@gdn.net writes:
> >Speaking of dinner: when is dinner for y'all?
> >
> >I use dinner synonymously with supper for the final meal of the day.
> Dinner for me is always the last biggest meal of the day. It usually falls
> around 5 pm here at home (sometimes later, but never past 8 pm).
I was under the impression that people in the US tend to have
evening (afternoon?) meals quite early, and you've just confirmed
that... As for me, I have _desayuno_ (breakfast) when I get up (varies
a lot depending on my level of occupation!), _almuerzo_ at noon or
at 1:00 pm at most, _merienda_ during the afternoon if I'm home
(probably at around 5:00 pm, which the Simpsons' time :)) and
_cena_ in the evening, at any time after the sun has set (in
general, at 8:00 pm in winter, at about 9:15 pm in summer).

My breakfast and my _merienda_ are usually composed of milk and
chocolate, or tea, or black coffee, plus crackers and jam or
cookies, and maybe _dulce de leche_ (Argentine creation, you have
to try it!). The biggest meal of the day is generally the _almuerzo_;
some people barely have _cena_ (it's not good to eat a lot just
before you go to bed!).

And that's the cause for many indigestions after Christmas. You
*have* to eat a lot, late in the evening, and it's all food more
suited to the European Christmas (highly caloric pork, almonds,
nougats, etc. + cider at a 30 degrees C evening).


--Pablo Flores
  http://draseleq.conlang.org/