What I usually say is "Do you want to do something not this upcoming Thursday but next Thursday?" because me and my husband get into arguments about this and next as well...I say if today is Tuesday the 26th then this thursday would be the 28 because it's the one that is going to come first. my husband says that the 28th thursday would be next thursday.

According to Wiki A contraindication...

In medicine, a contraindication is a condition or factor that increases the risk involved in using a particular drug, carrying out a medical procedure or engaging in a particular activity.


Guess it cannot be used even with the use of 'this' unless you were taking medication at the time.

Ah hah! Thank you lady1.
Wrong again Engadine . My medication is under strict control at all times. I control it through alcohol. When I'm sober I remember to take it. When I'm not sober I forget . When I'm midway, half and half, so to speak, I take them both in larger quantities in order to make up for those times that I forgot. As I rarely remember those times (that I forgot) I spend most of my time happily not bothering about it, until, that is, the next time; that is the time immediately after not preceding, the time before. Such as this time, which is now, or it was, in the immediate. Now you've gone and confused the hell out of me I suppose I'll just have to double (or treble) up on everything.....again.

lady1, I mentioned this in an earlier post...

Quote:

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My understanding about the difference between dinner and supper for those of elevated class is that dinner is 'served' by waiting staff, supper isn't, it is served by the hostess.

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So Hyacinth will be using the word in this way, she will not be using staff, she will do the work herself.

Now the American schools are getting crafty...they're calling the morning break 'brunch' because there is food offered.

I think the difficulty pinning down mealtimes in America is that people eat all day long! I've already mentioned the buffet place is open at around eleven and it never is empty from that time on. I wonder if people eat there at four, do they call it dinner or lunch?
The famous chain here in the States called In and Out burger whose menu is so basic that even my son was mocking it, 'Let's get really wild and have a cheeseburger...with, let's say, fries." constantly has a line of cars in front of it and an attendent coming out to take orders.

I don't know what they call it or if they even bother calling it anything.

Even amongst the stalwart people who try to have a family dinner (they keep on repeating it to you on television now, that those people who sit down and eat together have fewer drug problems with their kids because they supposedly talk about everything at those dinners!) the callers for telemarketing begin at about five thirty pm and six thirty, most of us don't pick up the phone...it's almost never anyone who is calling for you.
Wait now, what's wrong with this picture? They're telling you on TV to eat together, but, are they actually advocating turning off the TV while you do it? Oh, it's probably like cigarette companies with websites telling you smoking is bad for your health, but if you choose to smoke, then, smoke their brand.

So, I must say the feeding times are pretty odd in the States.

The preschools normally had a morning snack at about ten, with crackers and juice, then, lunch time with either sack or lunchboxed lunches or a lunch provided by the school, then, an afternoon snack.

The French schools had the morning 'gouter' on occasion, but never ever a sack lunch. Either they sent the kids home, or you had the cantine lunch. French schoolchildren eat much better than most of us. The French are so selective about what their kids eat that it's a matter of State providing it. The menus are given out so that the poor parents don't actually serve their kids the same thing twice in the same day, or week! Dinner is later, at seven or eight, with the whole family if at all possible, so, when the kid trudges home at five or five thirty, there's a snack time, or gouter.
French kids don't get out as much, so, they're starting to put on weight despite the superior food they eat.

I could not figure out when the British ate while traveling there. I know that in my time spent there for a year, I didn't really know either. It's that evening meal that we can't figure out. Is it at five the minute people get off work? However, when you go out, there are restaurants open until late, so what time do people really eat?

As the shops need to be open a little bit later to accomodate people who work, then how does that work out?

Ah Sue dont spoil my fun. I was trying to stir things up a bit.

I have been told that traditioanaly what you ate in the evening in England (Britain?) varied depending on how far north you went. In the south you had Tea (a meal with a few sandwiches and cakes)at about 5:30 and then a cooked dinner later on. Further north you got high tea which was a larger meal than southern Tea and as you went north Tea became more like the southern dinner.
Now it seems to be mostly shove something in the microwave when you are hungry.