What is meant by eating a square meal?
The term “square meal” originated from meals served on square wooden plates practised by the Royal Navy. Even though there is no evidence other than the existence of such plates in support of this theory, it is such a plausible story. The square plate theory is an example of a folk-etymology. This back-information is very believable, for one, square plates exists and the phrase exists. Taking a look at the word square, it can be taken to mean honest, proper, straightforward, genuine just to mention a few. Therefore, this meal can be perceived as a good and satisfying meal. On right-angled crockery, this is not in any way a rectilinear meal. The phrase is of US origin since all the early citations came from America dated back in the 1800s. An example of this is an advertisement for the Hope and Neptune restaurant, in the California newspaper The Mountain Democrat, November 1856: "We can promise all who patronize us that they can always get a hearty welcome and 'squ...