The most annoying expressions...

I was just thinking about the Ma and Pa Kettle movies the other day!

Could it be regional? The only person in my family who ever said supper was my dad's mom - who was from Kentucky!

I've heard supper much more here in Northern Ireland than I ever did in the US.  Here, the evening meal is referred to as dinner or tea, and the evening/bedtime snack is usually referred to as supper.

Where I grew up, "supper" was the evening meal.  Dinner could be the evening meal, but usually only if it was formal or big.  It was a bit nuanced I suppose.  You ate "dinner" out unless it was a quick bite to eat.  Dinner usually refered to a cooked lunch (usually at home).  When my parents were kids, everyone came home for "dinner".  Farms, factories, quarries and schools allowed people to go home and eat with their family.  Some didn't, but from what I understand, lunch wasn't provided at school until the 1960s.  We always called what we ate on Sunday afternoon "dinner".  It might be the Welsh and Irish influence on the area.  The evening meal probably stopped being called tea when people stopped drinking tea after immigrating.  Dinner stayed where it was, and "tea" became "supper".

My annoying phrase of the day is "oh well, never mind" used by someone else when you're upset.  It's so dismissive.

Oh I thought of another one!

Beverage

I don't know when, where, or why this word came into being but it's bugged me for years.  Annoying is too strong a word, but everytime I hear it or read it I silently think to myself, "Just say drink."

I think you missed the humour that was intended toward Mrs R!  I wasn't intending to have a go at you

I'm not trying to have a go at anyone either.    If I do, feel free to say "whatever". 

"Hence why"

LOL... i have no idea!  But to me, 'supper' sounds like a hillbilly kind of word! 

Like 'vittles'!

Genau!

LOL... i have no idea!  But to me, 'supper' sounds like a hillbilly kind of word! 

Like 'vittles'!

Supper is a meal posh people have late at night after the theatre my dear! 

Where I grew up, "supper" was the evening meal.  Dinner could be the evening meal, but usually only if it was formal or big.  It was a bit nuanced I suppose.  You ate "dinner" out unless it was a quick bite to eat.  Dinner usually refered to a cooked lunch (usually at home).  When my parents were kids, everyone came home for "dinner".  Farms, factories, quarries and schools allowed people to go home and eat with their family.  Some didn't, but from what I understand, lunch wasn't provided at school until the 1960s.  We always called what we ate on Sunday afternoon "dinner".  It might be the Welsh and Irish influence on the area.  The evening meal probably stopped being called tea when people stopped drinking tea after immigrating.  Dinner stayed where it was, and "tea" became "supper".

Could be the case here as well. My mom's side of the family is second and third generation Irish-Americans. My mom's side of the family calls it supper, but it's Thanksgiving Dinner. My dad's side of the family has always said dinner, but in my house dinner and supper were used the same way. I never noticed a difference.

Supper is a meal posh people have late at night after the theatre my dear! 

My family and friends are, I can assure you, neither hillbilly nor posh. I think you'll find that a lot of ordinary people use 'supper' to mean their evening meal.   

I have only really come across 'supper' being used in the UK in the way that Britwife says, ie by my ex, Mr DoublebarreledOxbridgePublicSchoolToryToffBoy and his 'chums'!


Vicky

I have only really come across 'supper' being used in the UK in the way that Britwife says, ie by my ex, Mr DoublebarreledOxbridgePublicSchoolToryToffBoy and his 'chums'!

You need to get out more, Vicky! 

I hate the phrase, "ratchet up." When did everyone start using it?!?! And can they please stop?

My family and friends are, I can assure you, neither hillbilly nor posh. I think you'll find that a lot of ordinary people use 'supper' to mean their evening meal.   

Well my parents use it to mean their evening meal. But I'm not sure I'd describe them as ordinary.    I've always called my evening meal dinner. I don't know where I got that from but obviously not my parents!

Growing up in a council estate in Edinburgh we called Lunch Dinner, Dinner Tea but supper was always supper (cheese on toast or similar consumed 1 hour before bedtime!!! very healthy).  Posh friends would call Lunch Lunch, Dinner Dinner but supper was always supper.

One thing that I've always hated to see in writing is references to "the below diagram" or "the above paragraph," etc. "Below" and "above" are not adjectives!!!

Also, in the corporate world, to "cost" a project or to discuss its "costings."

"heads up" and "touch base" really irritate me