Answers on a postcard please

The English language in varying regions can be a strange old thing. If you want to advertise something then why do you in one part of the country pronounce it as an "advertissment" and in a different part an "advertizement"? If snow comes down from the sky some will say it "pitches" as it lands on the ground whereas others will say it "settles" and why does "razed to the ground" always sound as though the house on fire is actually ascending upwards, thus breaking its foundations and defying the laws of gravity?

Ironically, no matter where you are "sex" is one of the smallest words but can cause the biggest issues and the obscure sounding "etymology" actually relates to the origin and historical development of a linguistic form as shown by determining its basic elements, tracing its transmission from one language to another. In short, its the origin of words and yes - I did get that one from the dictionary.

If you are in the north you say bath, instead of barth, path instead of parth and laugh instead of laurgh, yet whilst this may be a deviation of regional accents, it very neatly leads me to todays' topic and that is what do you say and when do you say it when talking about meals?

There is, and always will be with a topic like this, a social divide. Those in the north say breakfast, as do those in the south as it is universally agreed that as you start your day you are breaking the overnight fast (or farst depending on your own pronunciation) ready for the day ahead. In Victorian times you would have had elevenses which oddly enough happens at 11 o'clock but as we are all living in the fast paced world of the 21st Century, no one has time for elevenses anymore and some may say is fast disappearing.

It is from this point that the confusion starts to set in. The midday meal for approximately half the country will be called lunch followed by dinner in the evening and possibly supper just before bed. There is even the chance that there will be a tea consisting of a drink and sandwiches or cake around 4pm. However these names are turned on their head with the other half of the country saying their midday meal is called dinner, evening meal is called tea and supper before bed with no sign of what a snack mid afternoon might be called at all.

Now there's nothing new in what's written above except to say that depending on which part of the country you are in denotes what it is exactly you ask for. On many occasions I've had a quizzical look from someone when I've said around 11.30am, let's go out for dinner, only to be asked what time that evening we should meet up? Technically speaking if you get deep down to the nitty gritty there may be argument that there is a right way and a wrong way of saying what you mean but to ask the question who is right and who is wrong could spark an interesting debate. Those in the north will say one format whilst those in the south may say another so then I have to ask the question, what will those in the Midlands think? Or does no-one really care?

The politicians always say that they want a classless society but somehow I just think that will never happen, for as long as you have little differences like "Does gravy and chips belong together?" Then the debate will remain. Answers on a postcard please...

Wingwalker.


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