Why is the Chilean evening meal called once?
Nobody knows for certain. The story everyone tells is that men called brandy once because aguardiente has eleven letters, which historians doubt; the duller explanation is that it was taken at eleven in the morning. Many Chileans now take once between six and eight instead of dinner.
What the invitation means
In Chile a lot of people do not have dinner: they have once, between six and eight, and for many it is the last meal of the day. The verb is tomar, as with a drink, not cenar.
Nobody knows for certain where the name comes from. The story everyone tells is that men used to call brandy once because aguardiente has eleven letters; historians doubt it. The less entertaining explanation is that it was taken at eleven in the morning.
Inviting someone to tomar once is not the same as inviting them to a meal. It is more informal, longer, and it happens in the kitchen, not the dining room. The invitation means stay a while, and the right answer is nearly always yes.
- Many Chileans do not have dinner; they take once between six and eight in the evening, and for many it is the last meal of the day.
- The origin of the name is unknown. The popular story links it to the eleven letters of aguardiente, which historians doubt; another explanation is that it was taken at eleven in the morning.
- An invitation to once is informal, long, and in the kitchen; it means stay a while.
En Chile mucha gente no cena: toma once.In Chile a lot of people do not have dinner: they have once.
Nadie sabe con certeza de dónde viene el nombre.Nobody knows for certain where the name comes from.
Es más informal, más largo y se hace en la cocina, no en el comedor.It is more informal, longer, and it happens in the kitchen, not the dining room.
La invitación significa quédate un rato, y la respuesta correcta casi siempre es que sí.The invitation means stay a while, and the correct answer is nearly always yes.