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There is a wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette Edit: The wiki on chopsticks ha

by chasil 7mo ago

There is a wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensil_etiquette Edit: The wiki on chopsticks has an etiquette section broken down by country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks#Chopstick_customs,_manners_and_etiquette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks#Chopstick_customs,_...

3eb7988a1663 7mo ago
The difference between the American and European styles has been used as plot point in fictional works, including the 1946 film O.S.S. and the 2014 series Turn: Washington's Spies.[5] In both works, using the wrong fork etiquette threatens to expose undercover agents. Nuts. Apparently I have been a German spy all this time. I don't have time to waste swapping a fork around.
- jacquesm 7mo ago
  But can you pronounce 'Scheveningen'?
  - herewulf 7mo ago
    I'll see your Scheveningen and raise you an angstschreeuwtje.
    - jacquesm 7mo ago
      Oh, good one! I had never heard of it but yes, that would work.
- mrkandel 7mo ago
  Tarantino has a bit about it in inglorious bastards.
  - 3eb7988a1663 7mo ago
    The tell was not related to the cutlery, but counting on the fingers.
- lo_zamoyski 7mo ago
  American zigzagging utensil acrobatics always seemed like a lot of nonsense to me. It looks bad and fiddly.
  - pndy 7mo ago
    You may "enjoy" this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1VRIEg2Xsw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1VRIEg2Xsw
- ghaff 7mo ago
  I’m not even sure what the technical etiquite is. As a right handed American it just seems more natural to have my knife in my right hand but if I’m just using a fork I tend to switch that to my right hand. Didn’t even think about it until right now.
  - t-3 7mo ago
    I've always just done the cutting at the beginning of the meal then set the knife to the side. All of the etiquette patterns I've heard about seem wrong to me compared to just cut first and then put the knife down.
    - jon_richards 7mo ago
      I was taught that’s old American from before knives were cheap. Originally you’d pass the knife. Strange that the wiki implies you set the knife down after each cut.
    - ghaff 7mo ago
      Some people do that but it’s probably not the norm in general.
- herewulf 7mo ago
  "Nuts" is the correct expression to indicate that you are not a German spy as it is a very perplexing Americanism. Go to Germany and try using "Nüsse" as an interjection! See also: Bastogne.
danmaz74 7mo ago
Fascinating. The difference of the American style where you switch the fork between the left and right hands reminded me of a similar difference in fishing gear - where Americans (to my understanding) mostly cast with their right hand and then switch the rod to their left hand when retrieving, while in Europe (or at least in Italy) you usually just keep the rod in the right hand instead of switching.
20k 7mo ago
Its always extremely funny reading wikipedia articles about a countries customs. For the UK: >Bread is always served and can be placed on the table cloth itself This is extremely rare, to the point where I can't remember the last time I saw it. Is bread really.. always served? > In the United Kingdom, the fork tines face upward while sitting on the table. Tines down isn't uncommon in the UK either >if a knife is not needed – such as when eating pasta – the fork can be held in the right hand I mean it can be, but its fairly uncommon >it is permissible to place a small piece of bread at the end of the fork for dipping Its also 100% fine to dip bread in a sauce with your fingers. Putting bread on a fork if you've licked the fork and then dipping the bread would cause everyone to hate you, so *don't do this*
- bee_rider 7mo ago
  I suspect people who are motivated enough to contribute to the Wikipedia article are a bit over-interested in memorizing social rules.
- retsibsi 7mo ago
  > >if a knife is not needed – such as when eating pasta – the fork can be held in the right hand > I mean it can be, but its fairly uncommon So the norm is that if you're eating one-handed, you use your non-dominant hand? That seems really counterintuitive to me; is it because you're so used to having the fork in the non-dominant hand that it feels awkward the other way? Which hand do you use when eating with a spoon?
  - 20k 7mo ago
    Spoons always go in the right hand (eg fork and spoon), but yes I'd say people usually use the fork in the non dominant hand. Fork in the right hand is slightly 'uncouth', possibly due to its american associations
- pja 7mo ago
  > Is bread really.. always served? At any kind of formal dining? Yes, absolutely, I would expect there to be a bread roll & a pat of butter served at the beginning of the meal. Both in restaurants & formal dinners in my experience. It's not an absolute rule though & you generally wouldn't expect bread to be served like this at home in the UK. I think the French are more likely to serve bread at home as well.
implements 7mo ago
I’m right handed, but eat with the fork in my right hand and knife in the left. Is the issue that people have difficulty cutting with their left hand? Because if you can the process of eating is pretty efficient: hold with fork, cut with knife, move food on fork to mouth …
- krs_ 7mo ago
  I'm in Europe and I did the same as a child because it just felt the most natural. But you better believe our teachers in school would try to force the opposite. The argument was that imagine if everyone cuts with their right hand, but then you cut with your left and cause a lot of annoyance by bumping your elbow info your table neighbor's elbow. Absolutely a non-issue in reality obviously. But nowadays I do hold my cutlery "properly" as a result. To me it now feels natural to bring the fork to my mouth with the left hand. Or the right one, really, but I default to holding it in the left.
  - implements 7mo ago
    Ahh! Yeah, my teachers were equally unimpressed - but none of them gave the argument you mentioned, which could at least be understood (like elbows on tables).

by chasil 7mo ago

3eb7988a1663 7mo ago

The difference between the American and European styles has been used as plot point in fictional works, including the 1946 film O.S.S. and the 2014 series Turn: Washington's Spies.[5] In both works, using the wrong fork etiquette threatens to expose undercover agents. Nuts. Apparently I have been a German spy all this time. I don't have time to waste swapping a fork around.

jacquesm 7mo ago
But can you pronounce 'Scheveningen'?
- herewulf 7mo ago
  I'll see your Scheveningen and raise you an angstschreeuwtje.
  - jacquesm 7mo ago
    Oh, good one! I had never heard of it but yes, that would work.
mrkandel 7mo ago
Tarantino has a bit about it in inglorious bastards.
- 3eb7988a1663 7mo ago
  The tell was not related to the cutlery, but counting on the fingers.
lo_zamoyski 7mo ago
American zigzagging utensil acrobatics always seemed like a lot of nonsense to me. It looks bad and fiddly.
- pndy 7mo ago
  You may "enjoy" this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1VRIEg2Xsw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1VRIEg2Xsw
ghaff 7mo ago
I’m not even sure what the technical etiquite is. As a right handed American it just seems more natural to have my knife in my right hand but if I’m just using a fork I tend to switch that to my right hand. Didn’t even think about it until right now.
- t-3 7mo ago
  I've always just done the cutting at the beginning of the meal then set the knife to the side. All of the etiquette patterns I've heard about seem wrong to me compared to just cut first and then put the knife down.
  - jon_richards 7mo ago
    I was taught that’s old American from before knives were cheap. Originally you’d pass the knife. Strange that the wiki implies you set the knife down after each cut.
  - ghaff 7mo ago
    Some people do that but it’s probably not the norm in general.
herewulf 7mo ago
"Nuts" is the correct expression to indicate that you are not a German spy as it is a very perplexing Americanism. Go to Germany and try using "Nüsse" as an interjection! See also: Bastogne.

danmaz74 7mo ago

Fascinating. The difference of the American style where you switch the fork between the left and right hands reminded me of a similar difference in fishing gear - where Americans (to my understanding) mostly cast with their right hand and then switch the rod to their left hand when retrieving, while in Europe (or at least in Italy) you usually just keep the rod in the right hand instead of switching.

20k 7mo ago

Its always extremely funny reading wikipedia articles about a countries customs. For the UK: >Bread is always served and can be placed on the table cloth itself This is extremely rare, to the point where I can't remember the last time I saw it. Is bread really.. always served? > In the United Kingdom, the fork tines face upward while sitting on the table. Tines down isn't uncommon in the UK either >if a knife is not needed – such as when eating pasta – the fork can be held in the right hand I mean it can be, but its fairly uncommon >it is permissible to place a small piece of bread at the end of the fork for dipping Its also 100% fine to dip bread in a sauce with your fingers. Putting bread on a fork if you've licked the fork and then dipping the bread would cause everyone to hate you, so *don't do this*

bee_rider 7mo ago
I suspect people who are motivated enough to contribute to the Wikipedia article are a bit over-interested in memorizing social rules.
retsibsi 7mo ago
> >if a knife is not needed – such as when eating pasta – the fork can be held in the right hand > I mean it can be, but its fairly uncommon So the norm is that if you're eating one-handed, you use your non-dominant hand? That seems really counterintuitive to me; is it because you're so used to having the fork in the non-dominant hand that it feels awkward the other way? Which hand do you use when eating with a spoon?
- 20k 7mo ago
  Spoons always go in the right hand (eg fork and spoon), but yes I'd say people usually use the fork in the non dominant hand. Fork in the right hand is slightly 'uncouth', possibly due to its american associations
pja 7mo ago
> Is bread really.. always served? At any kind of formal dining? Yes, absolutely, I would expect there to be a bread roll & a pat of butter served at the beginning of the meal. Both in restaurants & formal dinners in my experience. It's not an absolute rule though & you generally wouldn't expect bread to be served like this at home in the UK. I think the French are more likely to serve bread at home as well.

implements 7mo ago

I’m right handed, but eat with the fork in my right hand and knife in the left. Is the issue that people have difficulty cutting with their left hand? Because if you can the process of eating is pretty efficient: hold with fork, cut with knife, move food on fork to mouth …

krs_ 7mo ago
I'm in Europe and I did the same as a child because it just felt the most natural. But you better believe our teachers in school would try to force the opposite. The argument was that imagine if everyone cuts with their right hand, but then you cut with your left and cause a lot of annoyance by bumping your elbow info your table neighbor's elbow. Absolutely a non-issue in reality obviously. But nowadays I do hold my cutlery "properly" as a result. To me it now feels natural to bring the fork to my mouth with the left hand. Or the right one, really, but I default to holding it in the left.
- implements 7mo ago
  Ahh! Yeah, my teachers were equally unimpressed - but none of them gave the argument you mentioned, which could at least be understood (like elbows on tables).