"Go to lunch" or " Go for lunch"?

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#176761 - 05/09/08 11:56 AM "Go to lunch" or " Go for lunch"?
Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 91 callithump journeyman
callithump journeyman Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 91	When it comes to lunch time, what should I say to the people around me to ask them to have lunch together: "Let's go to lunch" or "Let's go for lunch"? My first thought is the former. But I also see some using the latter. Is the latter right too? Or grammtically right but not very usually used? Do inform me if you see any corrections needed in my written English.

#176763 - 05/09/08 12:12 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or " Go for lunch"? [Re: callithump]
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel
Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont	either works for me, though it's breakfast time for me. :� ) I have heard, and use both, probably fairly equally. formerly known as etaoin...

#176764 - 05/09/08 01:19 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or " Go for lunch"? [Re: callithump]
Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 The Pook old hand
The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania	And this matters, why? Either. Anything but "let's do lunch" sounds fine to me.

#176768 - 05/09/08 01:32 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: The Pook]
Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 BranShea Carpal Tunnel
BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague	Kevin Kline (Otto) smiling to angel fish called Wanda : "Hello lunch".

#176773 - 05/09/08 03:24 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: BranShea]
Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,773 dalehileman Pooh-Bah
dalehileman Pooh-Bah Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,773 Apple Valley, CA, USA	One may also catch or grab a bite dalehileman

#176779 - 05/09/08 08:03 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: dalehileman]
Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 Zed Pooh-Bah
Zed Pooh-Bah Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada	To me let's go to lunch feels more formal and implies that the food is prepared and waiting. For lunch is looser, merely meaning that it is the middle of the day and I want food whether I plan to buy it, make it or open my lunch box.

#176787 - 05/09/08 10:29 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: Zed]
Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803	I'd say "go to lunch" implied that the whole group was going out to eat lunch. "Go for lunch" would also have the possibility that one person was going to go out and pick up lunch, bringing it back for everyone to eat.

#176793 - 05/10/08 02:10 AM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: Faldage]
Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 The Pook old hand
The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania	Other possibilities would include "let's have lunch" or "time for lunch" or just "lunchtime!"

#176806 - 05/10/08 04:13 AM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: The Pook]
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 6 Steffani stranger
Steffani stranger Joined: May 2008 Posts: 6	My colleagues and I would usually go to lunch together. Sometimes we would eat in, and one of us would go for lunch. Other times we would all bring our lunch from home. On those occasions we would sit around the conference table and discuss what we were having for lunch. On particularly harrowing days, lunchtime would arrive not a moment too soon, and someone would announce "Lunch" at the stroke of noon leading to a race for the door. Maybe they thought we said "Lunge!"

#176813 - 05/10/08 05:08 PM Re: "Go to lunch" or "Go to "for lunch" [Re: Steffani]
Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 557 Myridon addict
Myridon addict Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 557 Dallas, TX	As Steffani implies, at work, I can use the word "lunch" to mean either the midday break time or a meal or both. "To lunch", IMO, implies taking the break with the possibility of having the meal while "for lunch" implies having the meal. To take the break for the reason of a meal, perhaps? In other words, if I say "I'm going to lunch now", you should not assume that I've eaten when I get back, but if I say "I'm going for lunch", you know that food is my purpose.

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