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OP, your moniker says Brooklyn ( I am from NY originally) ...if that is true, anytime between five and six. That seems to be generally true throughout the northeast.
California and the west? No idea....but I would guess it is specific (5 p.m. means 5 pm!) in the Midwest/west, and quite relaxed along the west coast (5 means 5:30 or six).
Regardless of the location, unless you have been asked to come help, going before the appointed time is only going to find the hostess in her underwear and get you a black mark for being inconsiderate.
Interesting. When I invite people for 5, I mean 5. I hate that feeling when you're sitting there waiting for your guests to arrive but they are all trying to be fashionably late.
I don't like early, I don't like late, I like ON TIME.
Exactly!! I'm an ON TIME person (unless there is some unforeseen traffic, accident or something) - I have no idea why so many say a 5:00 invite means some time AFTER.
OP, your moniker says Brooklyn ( I am from NY originally) ...if that is true, anytime between five and six. That seems to be generally true throughout the northeast.
California and the west? No idea....but I would guess it is specific (5 p.m. means 5 pm!) in the Midwest/west, and quite relaxed along the west coast (5 means 5:30 or six).
Regardless of the location, unless you have been asked to come help, going before the appointed time is only going to find the hostess in her underwear and get you a black mark for being inconsiderate.
My experience visiting family in the south (and it didn't seem like it was just them) - in the South means "somewhere in the general time range" of the given time.
If I'm going to my good friends' or family's residence for dinner, then I have no problem showing up early. If, however, this is not the case, then I'd probably show up 5-10 minutes after the official start time.
5 or 10 minutes early isn't a big deal, at least to me.
I personally would find it rather annoying if I'm trying to get stuff together or ready and someone shows up an hour early. Now the host has to "entertain" them while possibly still trying to get ready for the gathering.
5:00 is a good time. :-) Good grief, be bored for 10 whole minutes -- I promise, it won't kill you. Read CD a little longer. Or use the time to go buy a hostess gift, like a nice bottle of wine or some flowers. Call the hostess and ask if there's anything you can do or bring. If she needs ice, or forgot the ice cream, whatever, then offer to pick it up. Otherwise, show up when invited. That's the ONLY way you can come a few minutes early.
5 or 10 minutes early isn't a big deal, at least to me.
I personally would find it rather annoying if I'm trying to get stuff together or ready and someone shows up an hour early. Now the host has to "entertain" them while possibly still trying to get ready for the gathering.
JMHO.
YMMV
You just described my mother-in-law. She always comes 30 minutes to an hour early. One day she was simply picking us up and "traffic was light" so she got there an hour before and we had just gotten out of bed.
I was always taught to be 5 minutes early and that showing up even one minute after the designated time was bad manners. I don't expect anyone to kill 5 minutes before coming to my door, and as a host, anything i'm doing in those last 5 minutes wouldn't be something that couldn't be interrupted since i'm expecting guests any minute.
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