When “Evening” Means “Afternoon”

Joan grew up in Yorkshire, England, then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. There she was surprised to hear some people use the term evening instead of afternoon to refer to “the period between noon and 5 p.m.” The word evening is used that way in many parts of the American South, and in fact, Mark Twain uses it that way in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Bookshop|Amazon). This sense is also used in the West Midlands of England. This is part of a complete episode.