defining break

“I have never seen so many dishes broken,” hubby commented.
“It’s inevitable. We only use glass plates and cups,” I replied. Also, it depends on how you define ‘breaking.” English has more than 40 ways to use breaking or break. For example, breaking even, breaking a relationship, breaking the law, breaking a fast and breaking news.
The repetition of “breaking news” diminishes its import. I heard that phrase used every day last week regarding the same news. Surely even the talking heads wearied of announcing, “Breaking news, former president Donald Trump and others will turn themselves in on Thursday.” On Thursday the ‘breaking news’ informed us that former president Donald Trump was turning himself in following his indictment. On Friday the breaking news said it had happened.
I only break a dish once. The talking heads announced the same breaking news ad nauseum. With all the days preceding the event and then the day of the event, it hardly qualified as “an unheard of event happening right now.” That is why I prefer to read the news rather than listen to it. By the time the news goes to press, the reporter has gatherd a myriad of details that most daily broadcasts skip.
But, hey, I’ll give the talking heads a break. They only have a few seconds to get listener’s attention as they break bread each morning, or, as it’s more commonly said, “as you eat breakfast.”
Did you know that the word ‘breakfast’ comes from ‘breaking’ your overnight fast? Folks awake, stretch and amble to the kitchen looking for food to break their fast. Over time, the phrase shortened to ‘breakfast’. Any food eaten after a long time of not eating is breaking a fast or more simply stated as ‘breakfast.’ To some folks breakfast is the first meal of the day eaten shortly after arising.
Technically it doesn’t matter what time you wake up, or when you first eat each day, that first meal is breakfast.
Not everyone agrees with me, especially not the woman considering joining the popular ‘Intermittent Fasting’ (IF) method for weight. Basically, IF incorporates the fact that most folks do not eat during the seven to ten hours of every 24 that they sleep each day. With IF the individual chooses to not eat anything after say 6 or 8 o’clock at night and then pushes back breakfast an hour or more. Or as one person simplified it, “skip breakfast.”
“Skip breakfast! That is a big fat no,’ responded the seeker on the IF facebook page.
I love the irony of the phrase “a big FAT NO.” That woman likes her granola, yogurt, bacon, eggs and pancakes too much to eliminate that meal.
I responded, “breakfast is simply the first meal of the day. It is breaking your overnight fast. Some break at 7, some at 10 or 12.”
She responded, “I am aware of that. It specifically says ‘skip breakfast’ which means no matter what time of day, skip that first meal. Which is horrible for your system.”
I resisted answering. “Literally, there is no way you can skip your first meal of the day.” Maybe I should have said, “So do not join the hobbits in their first breakfast and join them a few hours later for the hobbit’s second breakfast.”
I did not, however, said anymore. My sixth grade teacher said, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” I decided it was not my duty to break this person into a new concept.
Now, unfortunately, I just broke another glass (really!) so I must l break off this discussion leaving you, dear reader to break from the newspaper and break out a dictionary to find other definitions.