Strange Question - Dinnerware handling

[Wezas]

Recently when visiting my mom for thanksgiving, she commented on how my girl was using the "European" style of eating. Meaning she:

1.) Is right handed, yet holds her fork in her right hand, knife in her left hand.
2.) Cuts using the knife in her left hand, and eats with the fork in her right hand.

Meanwhile, I, (and a few other people I've been trying to notice) use the supposed "American" style of eating.

1.) Is right handed, holds fork in left hand to steady food, while cutting with right hand.
2.) When finished cutting, swaps the fork from left hand to right, and either puts the knife down or puts the knife in left hand.

Any opinions from right-handers? Do left-handers do the same (well, same, yet opposite)

[HarmNone]

I eat in the European style, as well. When in restaurants, I often find people surreptitiously watching me eat.

As for lefties, I really do not know. I never noticed. :)

HarmNone does not pass her fork from hand to hand

[Wezas]

Might be useful for people to also list where they live/country of origin, as it may play a part. Harmnone, are you a European?

[HarmNone]

No. I am American. However, I was raised overseas, so came to adopt their eating style. :)

HarmNone

[Ravenstorm]

I do it my own way. Being a right handed American...

1) I hold the fork in my left hand and knife in my right.

2) I cut with the knife then eat with the fork still using my left hand.

Why swap? I'm not ambidextrous but I am coordinated enough to ferry some food from the plate to my mouth.

Raven

[Adhara]

In my hospitality courses I was taught that European style holds the fork in the left hand (and never swaps you got that right.) Being a left or right hander did not change the way it is done. Same with the American style, there is no distinction whether the person is right or left-handed.

Based on that, you eat in the American style and she eats in the reverse European style!

I am canadian but the teacher teaching this course was american.

I think I change between American, European and reverse European.

[Back]

I'm not convinced there is a difference in 'style'. American tradition comes from Europe.

The only odd thing I've noticed about European eating is that they use the knife to pile on the fork, a little more than Americans do. Also, they like mayonaise with thier fries.

This sounds more like a right hand/left hand thing. I am ambidextrious. I can write backwards with my left hand, but as far as I know, right hand cuts and piles, left hand feeds.

[Caiylania]

I've always eaten cutting with my left and using fork in my right hand. Always silly to me to switch.

[peam]

I'm left-handed.

I hold fork in left hand and knife in right, whatever that means.

[Xcalibur]

All europeans here, I mean everyone or so.

And yeah, we're heavily influenced by some people from there :P

[AnticorRifling]

We all use the fork wrong. The fork has only been around a few hundred years before that everyone used a spoon. Most people that were introduced to the fork were not shown how to properly use it. They still used it in a scooping motion much like a spoon. It was meant to be used tongs down as a stabbing implement but people just used it like they used a spoon and taught there kids the same and it passed from generation to generation in that manner. Me I use it tongs down because I'm weird.

Ohh yeah I switch between American and European style depending on what I'm eating.

[Miss X]

Im European, and left handed. I generally stick to fork left, knife right if Im in public. I wouldnt swap the fork over or put the knife down and just eat with the fork if I had company.
However, when I'm just with my family I tend to eat with my fork in my right and knife in my left hand, feels more natural even though its not considered good maners here.

As for Mayo with fries - who would eat fries without mayo???

[Xcalibur]

Agree, mayonnaise all the way. Ketchup taste vinaguar too much:P

[Betheny]

Mayonnaise on fries?

What the fuck is wrong with you people? Jesus. I see people put mayo on hot dogs at work, and it makes me gag.

If you eat mayo on your fries/hot dogs, this statement is for you: YOU ARE A FREAK, AND YOU NEED TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOU INFECT THE WORLD WITH YOUR FREAKNESS.

That is all.

[AnticorRifling]

Originally posted by Miss X


As for Mayo with fries - who would eat fries without mayo???

People who aren't freaks that's who! :cool:

[Miss X]

bah, so in the US they don't give out mayo in Mc D's, KFC etc? Over here they give it out like it was tomato sauce. If I wasnt concerned about not getting fat I would happily eat everything with mayo... mmm yum!

[Xcalibur]

Mayonnaise won't make you fat, you would need to "drink" liter of it.

It's the fries that goes with it:P

Here, they give both, sometimes you have to ask for mayonnaise though (mcdonald's for instance)

[Betheny]

Another reason we should just nuke the entire world. Stupid mayo-eaters.

[Xcalibur]

Try eating submarines with ketchup. Mayonnaise goes with almost anything, not ketchup :lol:

[Betheny]

Originally posted by Xcalibur
Try eating submarines with ketchup. Mayonnaise goes with almost anything, not ketchup :lol:

Mayo on sandwiches is acceptable. BLT's are good with some mayo. But to put it on other stuff is blasphemy. Jesus hates you for it.

[Xcalibur]

No no, you said "Another reason we should just nuke the entire world. Stupid mayo-eaters"

Boycott it or love it, there is no middle:P

(i love putting mayonnaise with ketchup and relish in an hamburger, hmmmmm)

[peam]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
It was meant to be used tongs down as a stabbing implement ....

I use mine the same way. Retarded fork users of the world unite!

[Edaarin]

Pfft, who needs either. I laugh at everyone who needs a fork and knife.

[peam]

Most of the species has evolved beyond eating with sticks, k? Thx.

[Weedmage Princess]

Right handed, fork stays in right hand, knife usage is a left handed thing. No swapping. Guess that makes me a European Style type.

Mayo on fries is gross...but when I was in London I noticed them handing out packets of mayo as well. I thought they were psycho..heh.

This guy I work with eats Miracle Whip on everything...he commonly has it with Peanut Butter on crackers...that's just gross. :thumbsdown:

[Edited on 11-30-2003 by Weedmage Princess]

[Latrinsorm]

I don't really eat anything that requires a knife. But I hold my fork in my right hand. And use it like a spoon and a stabber, so that way I don't have to worry about foods immune to puncture like bacon.

[Weedmage Princess]

Hmm. I just had a thought..I think (I dont know, I never paid attention to it) the reason I may have never swapped hands is because my mom always made me use atleast two forks...so my right hand was the fork hand..

[Edaarin]

I'd rather be an ill mannered lout and actually be able to eat dinner in less than an hour.

I use a spoon, and if neccessary my hand.

[Wezas]

To chime in on the mayonaise thing. My mother (and little brother) both like banana and mayonaise sandwiches.

The first time I heard that I started gagging and thought I'd hurl.

[AnticorRifling]

I learned in the military that all you need is either a spoon or fork, pick one and stick with it. I use a fork. I'll eat cereal with a fork as well as cut meat with it. If it takes me longer than 4 minutes from sitting down to meal completion I was slacking. Now that I'm out I take alittle longer but I miss the one untensil days :cool:

[Wezas]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
I'll eat cereal with a fork as well as cut meat with it.

Hopefully not the same fork.

[Weedmage Princess]

Why not?!

Steak and Fruity Pebbles..mmm...

[DarknessWithin]

You people are thinking far to complicated. Is it really considered rude if you have the knife & fork in the wrong hand? I've never really thought about that much but I guess you could say i'm a Knife in the Right & Fork in the Left. But really, it's far too complicated here. Are you all forgetting the only utensil we need??

Behold: The Spork!!

It's a fork, it's a spoon, and if you get one with sharp sides, hell, it's now i knife too! Long live the spork!!