Food is not actually served on chargers; they are often called underplates or chop plates. The word “charger” originated around 1275–1325 from the Middle English “chargeour”. Formerly, a charger signified either a large platter or a large, shallow dish for liquids.Click to see full answer. In respect to this, what do you use a charger plate for?Charger plates can catch pieces of food, and prevent spills and messes that would otherwise stain the tablecloth or flow onto the table. Chargers also help to retain the heat in dinnerware since they are placed directly underneath plates and bowls.Additionally, how do you display decorative plates? Step 1: Arrange your plate layout. Determine how many plates you’d like to hang and how they look best. Step 2: Trace the plates onto paper. Use a pencil to trace outlines of each plate on a large piece of kraft paper. Step 3: Tape the templates to your wall. Step 4: Hang the plates on picture hangers. Also to know, what is a service plate? A service plate is a large plate that is used for multi course meals. Varying in size they are approximately 14 inches across. Food is never served or eaten directly from the service plate, which acts as a base plate for appetizers, salad, and soup.Why can’t you eat off charger plates?This way they protect the linens on the table. So, the charger plates usually go underneath a standard dinner plate, bowls or dessert dishes. The only downside with using charger plates for weddings as a part of your table top is you can’t eat off of them. Charger plates are only for decorative purposes.