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"Fork etiquette"—(excellent name for an article)—"in Western social settings takes two primary forms".

American style, the fork is held in the left hand for knifing and then transferred to the right for eating. European style, the fork is always held in the left hand.

I generally go for the American style.

I actually thought everyone ate the European way.

European style. 'Tis proper, Governor.

Donfuy wrote:I actually thought everyone ate the European way.

I thought that too, actually. It's because we're right, Donfuy (Heheh...).

Seriously, I haven't actually heard of eating like that. You learn something new every day...

American style.

Eventhough I use knife rarely, I use fork always on right hand, so.

European, I'm lefty

I had no idea fork etiquette was taken seriously, but I use American out of habit.

I usually just rip and tear with the fork. I'm not very sifistickatt'd

It varies. However, at the moment of writing this, American style seems more normal for me.
But really, what's the difference, and does it matter?

This leads to another interesting thing.

Americans cut things first and then eat.
Europeans cut things as they eat.

European really seems more logical... where do you put the knife after its usage? (or have I misunderstood and in fact you use the fork for... forking and for knifing? ô.O)

If you guys put it on the other hand, then you always have a dead weight on your hand.
*and* why pass to the right? If it's already cut, why do you need the brute power of your right hand? Precision? Yeah...

Donfuy wrote:Americans cut things first and then eat.

What?

I cut, then eat the chunk I cut off, then resume the process. I've never met an American who doesn't do it that way.



As for the initial bit, I cut with my right hand, holding the fork in my left, then transfer the fork over: American style. It's mostly that I'm a righty, and my right hand has the precision to both cut and bring the fork to my mouth in the most elegant manner.

Donfuy wrote:This leads to another interesting thing.

Americans cut things first and then eat.
Europeans cut things as they eat.

European really seems more logical... where do you put the knife after its usage? (or have I misunderstood and in fact you use the fork for... forking and for knifing? ô.O)

If you guys put it on the other hand, then you always have a dead weight on your hand.
*and* why pass to the right? If it's already cut, why do you need the brute power of your right hand? Precision? Yeah...

And I don't cut food, just eat it. What's with that?

It just doesn't makes sense.

blue_tetris wrote:I cut, then eat the chunk I cut off, then resume the process. I've never met an American who doesn't do it that way.

Btw Dave, I've never met any person who doesn't do it that way.

I'm seriously not getting how you guys eat.

blue_tetris wrote:As for the initial bit, I cut with my right hand, holding the fork in my left, then transfer the fork over: American style.

Let's see if I get it: You cut, then eat the chunk you cut off, then resume the process (so far, equals to the european), but between cutting and eating, you switch the fork to the right hand?

So, eating a beef: Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat. Pass fork to left. Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat. Pass fork to left. Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat.

What's blatantly failing me? Help me, cause I'm quite confused.

Oh god, I'm a freak. I hold the knife in my left hand and fork in my right hand throughout.

I fork right as well.

Kind of twisted as I'm left-handed; thus, I keep the fork in my left hand and don't bother switching it to cut.

I guess I've been unintentionally using European style without realizing that it's a style.
When I'm eating something that needs cutting, it's fork in the left and knife in the right. The only time those change is if I need to drink something or use a napkin. Or, y'know, when I'm done eating.
When the stuff I'm eating doesn't require a knife, then I just have the fork in the right hand, because I'm right-handed.

Tsukatu wrote:When I'm eating something that needs cutting, it's fork in the left and knife in the right. The only time those change is if I need to drink something or use a napkin. Or, y'know, when I'm done eating.
When the stuff I'm eating doesn't require a knife, then I just have the fork in the right hand, because I'm right-handed.

I do this also.

Atilla wrote:

Tsukatu wrote:When I'm eating something that needs cutting, it's fork in the left and knife in the right. The only time those change is if I need to drink something or use a napkin. Or, y'know, when I'm done eating.
When the stuff I'm eating doesn't require a knife, then I just have the fork in the right hand, because I'm right-handed.

I do this also.

LittleViking wrote:Oh god, I'm a freak. I hold the knife in my left hand and fork in my right hand throughout.

Donfuy wrote:I'm seriously not getting how you guys eat.

blue_tetris wrote:As for the initial bit, I cut with my right hand, holding the fork in my left, then transfer the fork over: American style.

Let's see if I get it: You cut, then eat the chunk you cut off, then resume the process (so far, equals to the european), but between cutting and eating, you switch the fork to the right hand?

So, eating a beef: Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat. Pass fork to left. Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat. Pass fork to left. Cut. Pass fork to right. Eat.

What's blatantly failing me? Help me, cause I'm quite confused.

This is a intelligence riddle.

I start off hold the fork with my right to get a good grip on the food I'm cutting, transfer the fork to the left so I can pick up the fork with my right, make the initial cut with the knife, swap utensils, finish cutting with the fork in my right hand and the knife in my left, swap utensils so I can put the knife down on the right side of my plate, switch the fork back into my right hand, and then take a bite. And then I move one place setting to the right for the next bite.

If a fork leaves Denver at 8:30 AM and travels at 55 mph, and a spoon leaves New York at 9 AM traveling 30 mph, when do they meet?

Atilla wrote:If a fork leaves Denver at 8:30 AM and travels at 55 mph, and a spoon leaves New York at 9 AM traveling 30 mph, when do they meet?

Assuming they're traveling toward each other, roughly 5:00 AM the next day.

I'm the only one in my family who eats the American way. :(

American.

I don't use a knife. only if I really have to.

The only time I use a fork with my right hand is when I want my mum to snatch it from me and ram it through my forehead, which is never.

That's how we learn proper fork etiquette down under. I don't think I could use a fork with my right hand if I tried, it would probably feel weird.

Tsukatu wrote:

Atilla wrote:If a fork leaves Denver at 8:30 AM and travels at 55 mph, and a spoon leaves New York at 9 AM traveling 30 mph, when do they meet?

Assuming they're traveling toward each other, roughly 5:00 AM the next day.

Did you take into account time zones when calculating your answer?