# "Fix" breakfast / dinner / meal



## NickJunior

I heard someone said this: _Tonight I will help my mother fix dinner_. Is it correct say *fix dinner*? I think the person means to make dinner.


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## Dimcl

NickJunior said:


> I heard someone said this: _Tonight I will help my mother fix dinner_. Is it correct say *fix dinner*? I think the person means to make dinner.


 
Yes, it's very common in some places to use this phrase, NJ.


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## sonofspm

Yeah. The "fix dinner" looks awkward. This should be "make dinner".

--HariOm


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## twen

Yes, but "fix" is an informal use for some people.  The funny thing is that the formal defininition is "repair," so "to fix dinner" means to make it edible!


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## NickJunior

I appreciate your helpful replies, Dimcl and Twen.  Sonofspm, you and I we need to learn more of the informal English phrases.  Thank you for offering your input.


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## Londres

"fix" dinner is rare in England. We would say "prepare" or perhaps "cook".


NickJunior said:


> I appreciate your helpful replies, Dimcl and Twen. Sonofspm, you and I we need to learn more of the informal English phrases. Thank you for offering your input.


 ​


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## nzfauna

I think fix in this context is rather american.  but it is normal to say.  I've heard it plenty of times on television.


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## nichec

--I am back.
--Oh, you are home late, you must be tired, can I fix you something?


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## GreenWhiteBlue

sonofspm said:


> Yeah. The "fix dinner" looks awkward. This should be "make dinner".


Perhaps among Indian speakers of English it would look awkward.  Among native speakers of English in the US, "fix dinner" would sound entirely natural and common, if a little colloquial.


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## loggats

"I'm fixing breakfast."

Is this expression particularly American? And is it used all over the USA, or limited to certain regions?

I've never heard it used in British English but don't know about Canadian, Australian or other varieties.

<< Joined to previous thread. >>


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## Sparky Malarky

Fixing breakfast, lunch dinner, or any meal sounds perfectly natural to me.


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## sdgraham

It doesn't matter which meal you're fixing, loggats. You can even fix snacks, dessert, etc.

<< Thread merged.>>


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## loggats

Thank you for the link, sdgraham. Maybe this thread could be useful by providing a little more information - 

is the use exclusively American?
is it universal or limited to certain states?

I'd never heard it before, and it sounded strange - but fun!


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## owlman5

I've heard people use it everywhere I've ever been in the U.S., Loggats.  I don't think its use is restricted to any particular region over here.


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## alekscooper

Yep, I've heard it too a bunch of times. If I'm not mistaken, one can also _fix something to drink_.

Also, I've heard that _I'm fixing to do something_ is used as _I'm going to do something_ in the US in the Southern states.


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## perpend

alekscooper said:


> Yep, I've heard it too a bunch of times. If I'm not mistaken, one can also _fix something to drink_.
> 
> Also, I've heard that _I'm fixing to do something_ is used as _I'm going to do something_ in the US in the Southern states.



I agree with all that have said that fixing a meal/drink, etc., is fine.

But "I'm fixing to do something." is not the same context, Aleks.

When one says "I'm fixing supper.", it means, I'm making supper (_right now_). *Not*, I'm going to make supper.

Gosh, this is hopefully understandable.


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## velisarius

For this British speaker, to "fix" a meal is an Americanism. I would say "make breakfast" . I might sometimes say "I'm going to get the dinner on " (start preparing dinner).


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## natkretep

Yes, I don't think I'd ever say this.

There are 33 examples of 'fix breakfast' in COCA* but none in BNC.** (Accessed here.) I think it's safe to conclude it's American. I'd say _making _or _preparing _or _cooking _(if it's a cooked one) or even _doing _breakfast.

*Corpus of Contemporary American English
**British National Corpus


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## se16teddy

I feel this sense of _fix_ is an Americanism too, and the OED agrees:
*14b. * In wider sense (chiefly U.S. _colloq._): To arrange, get ready, put in order; to put to rights, make tidy, ‘rig up’; _spec._ to prepare (food or drink).


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## sdgraham

A belated related comment. We (AE) also use the colloquial term "fixins" to refer to the stuff that normally accompanies a meal, such as "turkey and all the fixins," which normally refers to cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, etc. where turkey is concerned.

See: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fixins (although the term is not exclusive to the American South)


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## clemdane

Definitely an Americanism and widespread across the states, though there might be some regions where it isn't used. 

I was trying to find out the history of how the word came to be used in this meaning in American history because an old friend of mine who is German and who has lived in the U.K. for over 20 years heard me say it and told me, "That is the stupidest expression I've ever heard. " That spurred me on to try to find some historical facts to back me up and give it legitimacy so I can argue back with him! But so far I cannot find a specific derivation for this use of the word. I assume the etymology is the same as for other uses of the word, i.e.., not a homophone with a distinct etymology, but I'd love to find something concrete to rebut him with.


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## KDH

Conversation added to previous thread: Cagey, moderator. 

I know "I'll fix supper" is okay. Then, what about:

I'll fix a meal.
I'll fix breakfast.
I'll fix lunch.
I'll fix dinner.

Can I say them all naturally in daily conversations?


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## Thomas Tompion

You can.  It's not a very precise way of talking.


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## KDH

Thomas Tompion said:


> It's not a very precise way of talking.



Thank you for your answer. If it's not a very precise way of talking, what verb do you suggest instead?

prepare??


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## RedwoodGrove

KDH said:


> Can I say them all naturally in daily conversations?


Yes.


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## se16teddy

I think 'fix' in this sense is AE. I would say _I'll get dinner ready._


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## RedwoodGrove

se16teddy said:


> I think 'fix' in this sense is AE. I would say _I'll get dinner ready._


Until now I wouldn't have known it was strictly American. It sounds natural to me.


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## Keith Bradford

KDH said:


> ... what verb do you suggest instead?
> 
> prepare??


_Prepare, make, cook, serve..._

Or even that old pismire _get_.


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## dermott

I rarely if ever hear it in BrE. I'd say *get*, as per teddy.


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## RedwoodGrove

"What fixings have you got?" means what food have you got for dinner in AE. (Albeit a little old fashioned.)

< Threads merged.  Thank you.  Cagey, moderator. >


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## KDH

Thank you so much everyone for your answer, small discussions and link.


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## Ronch

This post is very interesting, i was looking for the "fix a meal" phrase because i remembered hearing it too and surprisingly we use the same phrase in a kind of old-fashioned hebrew, there are so many equivalents in hebrew and it never ceases to surprise me


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## Aneja.me

I believe, Fix means that the meal is already cooked, fixing food means arranging it on the table to eat


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## Keith Bradford

Aneja.me said:


> I believe, Fix means that the meal is already cooked, fixing food means arranging it on the table to eat



You believe wrongly.


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## Aneja.me

Keith Bradford said:


> You believe wrongly.


Thanks 😅😅


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