High Tea

I read this word 'high tea' in a book. I thought at first that it was a kind of fine quality teas, but I was wrong. At first I thought it refered to high quality teas, but I was wrong.

High tea: a meal of foods like scones and finger sandwiches. Traditionally it was a working class meal served on a high table at the end of a workday. It was a heavy meal of meat dishes, baked goods, vegetables and other heavy foods.

On the other hand, there is the opposite word 'low tea'.

Low tea: This is also known as afternoon tea. It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, hence its two names.

High Tea

I read came across/encountered this word 'high tea' in reading a book. I thought at first that it was a kind of fine quality teas, but I was wrong.

high tea: (1) a meal of foods like scones and finger sandwiches served mid-afternoon. It also had another meaning, (2) traditionally it was a working class meal served on a high table at the end of the workday. It was a heavy meal of meat dishes, baked goods, vegetables and other heavy foods (these two contradict each other - scones/finger sandwiches are not heavy).

On the other hand, there is the opposite word 'low tea'.

low tea: This is also known afternoon tea. It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, hence its the two names. (I've never heard anyone say 'low tea')