Dinner Time in the U.S.

Here in the U.S., um, our, sort of, meal schedule follows our work schedules because we’re very work-focused as a culture. So, um, most Americans have breakfast in the morning, around 7 or 8 a.m., and then they have lunch at noon, um, or 1, and then they usually have dinner at 6 or 7 p.m., after work. And it’s funny because my husband, who is from Spain, finds it incredibly difficult to stick to an American schedule, because in Spain, um, because the sun sets so late, their schedules are much later than ours, and so in Spain it’s very, um, common to have dinner at 10, or even 11 p.m. at night.

Vocabulary:

sort of – (idiom) to some extent, somewhat, or a phrase used in spoken English when a description is not completely exact, “I am sort of tired, so I might go to bed early tonight.”

schedule – a plan that gives expected times for different activities, tasks, or events to happen, “The train schedule shows that the next ride leaves at exactly three o’clock.”

work-focused – placing a large amount of attention, time, and priority on job duties, career, and productivity, “Because the culture is very work-focused, people rarely take long breaks during the business day.”

noon – twelve o’clock in the middle of the day; midday, “We always meet in the cafeteria at noon to eat our lunch together.”

incredibly – extremely, or to a very high and surprising degree, “The final exam was incredibly difficult, but she still managed to get an A.”

stick to – (phrasal verb) to continue doing, following, or using something exactly as planned without changing it, “If you want to learn an instrument, you must stick to a regular practice routine.”

common – happening often, usual, or found in many places, “It is very common to see people drinking coffee on their way to the office.”