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playlunch
noun 1. the mid-morning break in primary school. Compare little lunch, recess.
2. a snack eaten then.
Contributor's comments: I grew up in Northern Victoria and we used playlunch particularly in primary school. My daughter who is eight and goes to school in Adelaide talks about "eating her recess".
Contributor's comments: At school in Sydney (1930s - 1940s) Big lunch was just "lunch" but the "little" lunch was "play lunch."
Contributor's comments: I grew up in Sydney and went to to different government primary schools from 1979 to 1985. Both schools always called the short break playlunch. Little lunch was used by the Catholic school down the road. When we got to high school, playlunch was a bit babyish, so it became recess.
Contributor's comments: When I was in Grades 1 and 2 in Mt. Isa (Nth. Qld.) it was quite common to hear 'Big Lunch' and 'Little Lunch' used to describe breaks. However when we moved down to Brisbane while I was still in Primary School, the only other students using these words were students who had come up from NSW. Although again, I think they used 'Play Lunch' for morning tea, which I found quite humorous.
Contributor's comments: In West Ryde, Sydney, we used "little lunch" and "play lunch" interchangeably.
Contributor's comments: [Perth informant] Never heard this at school. It was always morning and afternoon recess. If you had food for the morning break, it was 'playlunch'.
Contributor's comments: I went to school at Trundle Central Western NSW in the infants years we called it Big Lunch and the earlier shorter break was "play lunch" once reaching primary and onto secondary classes it was called "play lunch" and "lunch".
Contributor's comments: A snack eaten during a morning school break or recess, but not at lunchtime: "Did you bring some play-lunch?"
Contributor's comments: An alternative word for recess. I used it in Sydney's eastern suburbs in the 1970s and my wife did in Perth. At School we had two breaks, Play Lunch and (Big) Lunch.
Contributor's comments: Food taken to school to be eaten at the mid-morning break. We called this time morning play, but my children just call it morning recess: "I brought a cake for play lunch."
Contributor's comments: I grew up in the Hunter region and we always ate playlunch at 11 am. First heard the term "little lunch" in Townsville in the 70's and in Victoria in the 70's and 80's.
Contributor's comments: [Melbourne informant] I was at primary school from late 1950's until early 1960's and clearly remember the use of the words 'big lunch' for main lunch and play lunch for morning tea play time break.
Contributor's comments: Play Lunch was used in the Wagga area for the morning break at school.
Contributor's comments: [New England District informant] Play lunch was used in the '70's, (Catholic school), but little lunch was also used. I remember being laughed at when I went to high school and used the term little lunch instead of recess.
Contributor's comments: Attending primary school in Northern New South Wales in the 50s, morning tea was always referred to as 'play lunch'
Contributor's comments: morning tea / used at my primary school in the early 60's: "What have you got for play lunch today? I've got a soggy sultana sandwich."
Contributor's comments: I grew up in the Western District and Melbourne, and always called this meal 'play lunch'. So did my own kids in the '80s. As a primary school teacher, I have been surprised to hear that it is now called "snack" by my students, which I think of as an Americanism.
Contributor's comments: Play lunch (definitely two words) is the meal eaten at the morning break at school. The break itself is called recess but can also be known as morning play, particularly in primary school. Play lunch doesn't have to be eaten at recess, though. It is quite acceptable to eat ones play lunch at lunch time and I have seen many students eat their lunch at recess. Play lunch is typically something sweet like a piece of cake or a biscuit or a piece of fruit. It can also be cheese and biscuits or a Big M or other milk drink. This should not be confused with part of lunch. If a Big M follows a sandwich, then it may well be part of lunch, rather than play lunch. The nuances are subtle but quite important. I have heard people talk about eating recess. This is quite wrong. Recess is the break from class and it would make as much sense to talk about eating morning play.