Cutlery Etiquette

[anonymous-user]

I would say that between a knife and a fork, the fork is the primary utensil. It pins stuff down when cutting it and carts the food from the plate to mouth. So it makes sense to me to match the primary utensil with the dominant hand, for the majority this is the right hand. So why on earth is it etiquette to use the left hand for the fork and the right for the knife? Its just backward! Also the fork requires more dexterity in its use so again why insist on letting your left hand struggle with a task its simply not up to

Its even more odd when you watch people merrily munching something that only requires a fork, using it in their right hand, then swap the fork to the left when they require the assistance a knife.

Since I've been able to use cutlery the fork has always remained in my right hand, despite protests from parents and now my wife that claims I'm setting a bad example to the children! Wear does this backward approach come from? Anyone else resist this tomfoolery?

[LordGrover]

I'd rather have the sharp, cutting implement in my dexterous, dominant right hand.

[V8mate]

Cultural mores, innit.

Other knife and fork utilising countries use them differently.

[geeks]

Shoveling requires less dexterity than cutting!

Do you use a saw with your non dominant hand? Same principle, well in my muddled mind anyway

[Digga]

OP do it right or give up completely and use a spork. Your choice.

[C0ffin D0dger]

'er indoors swaps them over. Not tried myself but as I'm conditioned to the standard way of eating I expect it would feel odd.

[Butter Face]

Oi, we’re a spoon based community here. None of this knife and fork nonsense!

And, Sporks? Really?

[Allanv]

I am left handed and use the fork in my left hand.

I am weird however.

[J4CKO]

I cant believe anyone still uses chopsticks, two skinny bamboo poles versus a cutting implement paired with a stabby shovel, genuis, no wonder folk that use them tend to be smaller, they cant get enough food in their mouths !

[Orchid1]

Allanv said:

I am left handed and use the fork in my left hand.

I am weird however.

I'm left handed and I also use cutlery like a right handed person. I also use a computer mouse with my right hand.

[Laurel Green]

Does one only drive left-hand drive cars?

[David87]

I hold the fork in my right hand, but swap hands to cut. Most of the time I just push through the food with the side of the fork, as then I don't have to bother swapping. A good example for my children? Probably not. Bothered? No.

Don't know why I am like it; my parents did try and enforce the normal way upon me, but I never listened.

[silverfoxcc]

Orchid1 said:

Allanv said:

I am left handed and use the fork in my left hand.

I am weird however.

I'm left handed and I also use cutlery like a right handed person. I also use a computer mouse with my right hand.

Me too!

However the late ex Mrs Fox was right handed and always put the set out 'back to front' did my head in!!

[Allanv]

silverfoxcc said:

Orchid1 said:

Allanv said:

I am left handed and use the fork in my left hand.

I am weird however.

I'm left handed and I also use cutlery like a right handed person. I also use a computer mouse with my right hand.

Me too!

However the late ex Mrs Fox was right handed and always put the set out 'back to front' did my head in!!

I use a mouse in my left hand although I can use it in my right I prefer the left, and the buttons stay the correct way. Never understood why changing the buttons around make it left handed.

Left click is the button on the left but no let's change it to be left click is the right hand button grrr.

[Gary29]

I'm right handed and usually use the fork with my right hand.

I can 'eat properly' though, if I have to.

As above, I normally cut everything up with the side of the fork and don't bother with a knife at all unless eating meat for example.

[anonymous-user]

Cutlery etiquette in Austria seems to have absolutely no rules. In fact, it is one of the things I noticed when I moved here was how completely backwards most people look when eating. I always thought that people who hold their knife like a pen needed a lesson in how to hold cutlery, but then I arrived here and fking hell I have never seen anything like it. It transcends "class" as well, so it isn't a wealth or class issue, there just aren't any rules.

I hold my fork in my left hand, and knife in the right. If you are using just your fork, you may use it the other way up, in your right hand.

[RizzoTheRat]

J4CKO said:

I cant believe anyone still uses chopsticks, two skinny bamboo poles versus a cutting implement paired with a stabby shovel, genuis, no wonder folk that use them tend to be smaller, they cant get enough food in their mouths !

China seems to have less obesity that America, I have a theory that this is because China came up with the idea of eating rice with chopsticks, while America came up with the idea of eating burgers with your hands.

[mr_fibuli]

It always seems weird to me that right-handers swap their mouth-shovelling hand - left hand for a fork and right hand for a spoon. I'm a lefty so it seems natural to use left hand for both.

[cuprabob]

I hold my spoon and fork in my right hand unless I'm using a knife, in which case I put the fork in my left hand.

[HTP99]

Orchid1 said:

Allanv said:

I am left handed and use the fork in my left hand.

I am weird however.

I'm left handed and I also use cutlery like a right handed person. I also use a computer mouse with my right hand.

My youngest is left handed and eats in the right handed way, both my wife and I are right handed and we eat in the left handed way!