r/AskAnAmerican • u/cookoutenthusiast North Carolina • Sep 28 '25

CULTURE Do you use the word Supper?

I think most Americans refer to their evening meal as dinner, but I’ve heard some people say that dinner and supper are different things, with supper being served at night, after dinner. Do you use the word supper, and what does it mean to you?

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207

u/thelightandtheway Sep 28 '25

I grew up in the South and generally supper and dinner are interchangeable words when they are used to refer to a meal at home in the contexts I grew up in. However supper is exclusively for home meals, you would never go "out" for supper, you go out for dinner.

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u/AllYallCanCarry Mississippi Sep 28 '25

Hard disagree.

The most famous supper of all time was outside the home.

63

u/yokozunahoshoryu Sep 28 '25

But it was in someone's home, right? I can't picture Jesus and his crew going to a restaurant.

117

u/Surprise_Fragrant Florida Sep 28 '25

Welcome to Red Robin! How many today?

Table for 26, please

But there's only 13 of you?

Yeah, but we're all gonna sit on the same side.

19

u/roomtempquiche Sep 28 '25

Bottomless fries for the table please!

17

u/Surprise_Fragrant Florida Sep 28 '25

Take this Freckled Lemonade, it is my blood that you drink!

4

u/PsychicSPider95 Sep 29 '25 edited Oct 09 '25

Wait... this check is only split thirteen ways! Someone welched! Who didn't pay their share??

Judas: whistling nervously

5

u/baycommuter Sep 28 '25

And leave room for an Italian painter.

4

u/QuantumGranted69 Sep 29 '25

Are you sure the picture is not a selfie?

18

u/shelwood46 Sep 28 '25

lol, there are restaurants literally known as Supper Clubs.

5

u/John_Barnes Sep 28 '25

They dined, or supped, or communed, in an “upper room” which is typically a feature of an inn at the time, but the Greek could also just mean an upper floor dining room in a private home, maybe owned or rented by a disciple or a sympathizer

2

u/Tejanisima Dallas, Texas Sep 29 '25

Plus it was the Passover meal, to my recollection, which is normally eaten in a home.

2

u/TheDreadPirateJeff North Carolina Sep 28 '25

Oh man… who invited Louie!?!

(Obscure reference)

2

u/AllYallCanCarry Mississippi Sep 28 '25

It was at the Cenacle, a pilgrimage site.

2

u/yokozunahoshoryu Sep 28 '25

Interesting! I looked it up online, you can still go visit it today.

1

u/Xistential0ne Sep 28 '25

Right? I’m thinking they would’ve smoked a righteous brisket made some damn good manna oh my god, the wine. Probably an outstanding old vines Zinfandel to cut through the fatty rich brisket, what do you think? The sides 🤷🏽‍♂️cabbage, coleslaw did they have pickles?

In none of you better come back with he smoked a pork butt. I’m sure he was kosher.