The English term “high tea” does not refer to what I thought it did. The Seattle Times fielded a reader question about an advertisement enticing you to “enjoy British high tea in Victoria.” Traditionally, “afternoon tea” is what I thought “high tea” was, namely the formal event with fine china, cucumber sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. “High tea” actually refers to an informal early evening meal (think steak-and-kidney pies and pasties), with its origins in the working class. The name comes from the placement of the food on a high mantel or main table. Meanwhile those of us on this side of the pond who regularly abuse the King’s English thought “high” meant “fancy” or “formal” and incorrectly evolved the term to refer to “afternoon tea.”