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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 10, 2019 16:06:00 GMT
I take it you don't eat steak? Or roast beef/lamb? I mean, I guess technically you could "cut" off bits of a chicken schnitzel with just a fork, but why would you? That's what a knife is for. I'm willing to bet you're in the minority of Americans who don't use a knife. I agree with you. We would be hard pressed to eat most of our main meals without a knife here too. I even eat ribs and pizza with a fork and knife because I don’t like getting my fingers all greasy.
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Post by Mel on Dec 10, 2019 17:29:05 GMT
I'm one of the odd ones that love topics/discussions like this! It's so fascinating to learn how different we all are not just in our geography but customs, etiquette, etc.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 10, 2019 17:30:19 GMT
Oooh, the fork, one of those peculiar niche subjects I enjoy! Americans can blame the French for their etiquette of putting down the knife as it was trendy for a few decades around the turn of the 18th century and apparently, this fashion was brought over to the United States where French manners were seen as refined at the time. Consider the trickle-down effect: forks were first used in the upper sphere before being adopted by the rest of society. When you factor in that the use of the fork in the USA only became more widespread around the Civil War, you can see how this shortlived French trend (by that time already over and done with back in France) became the norm. The American shovel/spoon with prongs method is likely a natural evolution from putting the knife down originally. I imagine that the current (granted, not generalised) plastic single use cutlery in the US (why?) has only reinforced such table manners. I, too, was taught to hold both knife and fork while eating and to hold the fork tines facing down. I was absolutely allowed to flip the fork and go into makeshift spoon mode for more difficult food such as peas, especially if I was out of "cement food" like mashed potatoes. There is no "one" way to use the fork. Europeans, be it Brits or continental (or otherwise), don't have the fork etiquette exclusivity either: the fork is originally from the Byzantine Empire and boy, did it meet centuries of resistance in Europe. It arrived in Venice in the 11th century, took a solid 5 to develop across Italy and finally make it to France where in the 17th century, Louis XIV absolutely refused using it or letting his children use it (although the fork was by then becoming widespread in his kingdom and had already crossed the Channel to the Brits). It's a typical kingdom-against-kingdom telenovela. "Shan't use your device! Who do you think you are, lecturing me on table manners? I spit on you from my golden throne, neighbour!" Anyhoo, moral of the tale: eat as you wish and absolutely expect us Europeans to raise an eyebrow and purse our lips when you spread your personal space out at the table to put your elbow out to better shove the food onto your fork. No manners, these 'Muricans, I tell ya!
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Dec 10, 2019 17:41:41 GMT
It comes back to a discussion we had on here a while back about how you eat your food. Some eat one thing from their plate at a time, other have a little bit of this and a little bit of that on their fork at the same time. So if you have a bite size portion of say roast potato on the end of the fork and you add a few peas to the end of it, they stick together. I only turn my fork over if the peas are all that is left on my plate, then I use my knife to push them on. I guess it becomes easier if that is all you've known and done. So the fork always stays in your non-dominant hand? That also fascinates me. I’ve cut with the right (dominant hand) and eaten the piece of meat with the fork still in my left hand, tines down, because that does seem efficient. But I can say I’ve never used the fork in the American way, like a shovel as some have said, when it’s in my left hand. The fork-shovelling with your non-dominant hand typically only works if you still have a knife in your dominant hand shepherding the food onto the shovel. Kind of like eating with chopsticks and a spoon
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Post by lucyg on Dec 10, 2019 19:02:41 GMT
As much of an Anglophile as I am about most things ... I’m ignoring all of you, and continuing to shovel my food with my fork in my right hand.
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,785
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Dec 10, 2019 19:19:30 GMT
Well, I've finished my evening meal and had to check what I was doing, British way for everything, peas and all.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,009
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Dec 10, 2019 19:27:20 GMT
What do the Brits think of how Asians eat rice? They literally bring the bowl up to their faces and 'shovel' the food into their mouths with chopsticks. That's the most efficient way of eating, lol.
How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth?
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Dec 10, 2019 19:35:08 GMT
What do the Brits think of how Asians eat rice? They literally bring the bowl up to their faces and 'shovel' the food into their mouths with chopsticks. That's the most efficient way of eating, lol. How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth? Rice with the fork in my right hand, tines pointing upwards. Unless we're eating out and I'm using chopsticks in which case, I do it the Asian way. Spaghetti, fork in right hand, twirl, into mouth, probably tines up so the spaghetti doesn't fall off? My father is Italian, I had early influences.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 13:27:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2019 20:05:26 GMT
It comes back to a discussion we had on here a while back about how you eat your food. Some eat one thing from their plate at a time, other have a little bit of this and a little bit of that on their fork at the same time. So if you have a bite size portion of say roast potato on the end of the fork and you add a few peas to the end of it, they stick together. I only turn my fork over if the peas are all that is left on my plate, then I use my knife to push them on. I guess it becomes easier if that is all you've known and done. So the fork always stays in your non-dominant hand? That also fascinates me. I’ve cut with the right (dominant hand) and eaten the piece of meat with the fork still in my left hand, tines down, because that does seem efficient. But I can say I’ve never used the fork in the American way, like a shovel as some have said, when it’s in my left hand. Yes, always in my left ( non dominant hand) even for the peas left on the plate.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 13:27:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2019 20:14:23 GMT
What do the Brits think of how Asians eat rice? They literally bring the bowl up to their faces and 'shovel' the food into their mouths with chopsticks. That's the most efficient way of eating, lol. How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth? We make sure we finish the twirl when the fork is facing down 😁
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Post by anniefb on Dec 10, 2019 20:17:39 GMT
I use my fork tines down through the majority of my meals although I might relax and turn it over for the last few peas Same here.
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Post by anniefb on Dec 10, 2019 20:22:20 GMT
Maybe this should be a separate topic, but do you also use a fork to eat what most Americans would eat with their hands - pizza, chicken on a bone, corn on the cob, ribs? I usually eat pizza and chicken legs etc with knife and fork - though might pick up the chicken leg at the end to get the last meat off. With corn on the cob I'd mostly use those little corn holders. Can't remember the last time I ate ribs but I'd probably start out at least with a knife and fork.
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Post by anniefb on Dec 10, 2019 20:26:13 GMT
How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth? Fork in right hand, spoon in left - twirl spaghetti around fork resting on spoon.
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,785
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Dec 10, 2019 20:30:57 GMT
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Post by dewryce on Dec 10, 2019 20:39:49 GMT
Try as I might, I can’t keep stains off of my clothing when eating with the tines facing up with their better hold on the food. No way do I want to spend time balancing my food on top of a hill, a shape just begging for my food so that it can promptly drop it in my lap! I have recently seen the efficiency in eating meats I cut at the table the European way, though it feels rude to eat like that. Add me to the list of peas who doesn’t use a knife at most meals. Steaks, of course, but we limit those. Chicken cooked on the bone, rare in our house, but yes I’d use a knife for that as well. Pork loin and the like we would but those are also rare. When we prepare most foods we cut them into bite sized pieces, even vegetables. That way, whatever sauce/oil/herbs they are cooked with coats all sides and all sides are exposed to the heat source, browning or searing them or making them crisper. I have texture issues. And we eat seafood; mostly fish, shrimp and scallops...which better not need a knife
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Post by kiera on Dec 10, 2019 20:42:04 GMT
I was more annoyed by her seemingly fake Irish accent and the continuous comments about this isn’t an Irish sausage etc . I think the whole thing is stupid Diane is definitely Irish, I've been watching her since I discovered her on the Try Channel and its predecessor. Her accent isn't fake at all.
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Post by rainangel on Dec 10, 2019 20:58:38 GMT
I'm in Norway and quite a few people eat with the fork like this girl. But when I think about it, it seems to me to be mostly older than me (I'm 40). My mother eats like this, my father doesn't. I have never known or thought about why some people eat like this. Reading some of these answers it seems to be more 'proper', and that would make sense with my parents, my mother is definitely more 'proper' than my father 😃
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Post by bbkeef on Dec 10, 2019 21:01:40 GMT
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
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Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Dec 10, 2019 21:13:55 GMT
How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth? Fork in right hand, spoon in left - twirl spaghetti around fork resting on spoon. yes, but then do you flip the fork back over and put in your mouth with the tines facing down? Trying to imagine that one, seems strange to do that.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 10, 2019 21:28:12 GMT
This is great, thanks! We are going to be eating in a couple of frou frou restaurants over Christmas so the refresher is helpful. I was taught to place my fork tines down when I was finished, good to know I’ve been confusing the waitstaff.
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Post by myshelly on Dec 10, 2019 21:32:04 GMT
Yes, & we eat like that in Australia too...because even though we were shipped here as criminals, we still kept some manners from the old country! That's considered the correct way - hold the fork in the left hand, tines facing down and then still in the left hand take the food to the mouth. The fork is not turned with the tines facing up at all. We don't hold the fork in the "carry" position and load food onto it. She only turns the fork in the video because she can't keep the food on her fork the way she usually would. pjaye is 100% correct. Using the back of the fork is the correct way to hold the fork. OMG, my mum would kill me if I used the fork the wrong way and scooped food like a savage! I can’t remember the last time I ate something that couldn’t be cut with just the side of my fork. Like the other pea above me said, very few foods actually require a knife. I take it you don't eat steak? Or roast beef/lamb? I mean, I guess technically you could "cut" off bits of a chicken schnitzel with just a fork, but why would you? That's what a knife is for. I'm willing to bet you're in the minority of Americans who don't use a knife. No, we don’t eat any of those things. At least 3 other peas have said on this thread that they don’t regularly use a knife, so it can’t be that unusual 🤷🏻♀️
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Post by AussieMeg on Dec 10, 2019 21:40:07 GMT
Maybe this should be a separate topic, but do you also use a fork to eat what most Americans would eat with their hands - pizza, chicken on a bone, corn on the cob, ribs? My Kiwi friend eats fish and chips with her hands which I find endlessly fascinating. The only time I would eat a piece of fried fish with my hands is if I got it from a chip truck and it was served in a newspaper - if it's served on a plate, I use utensils. I eat fish and chips from a plate with a knife and fork, much to the bemusement of my family. I think I’m probably the only Aussie who eats F&C with utensils. Well, in the minority anyway. The rest of the family eats it straight off the wrapping paper with their hands. So in this case *we’re* the savages! 😆
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muggins
Pearl Clutcher
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Jul 30, 2017 3:38:57 GMT
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Post by muggins on Dec 10, 2019 21:41:55 GMT
I’m British, but live in the USA. I’ve fully adopted the American way of using a fork like spoon, so I can shovel it in faster;)
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Post by dewryce on Dec 10, 2019 21:44:16 GMT
I’m British, but live in the USA. I’ve fully adopted the American way of using a fork like spoon, so I can shovel it in faster;) That’s why you’re supposed to put your utensils down between bites and your hands in your laps
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
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Jul 4, 2014 6:57:02 GMT
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Post by AllieC on Dec 10, 2019 22:56:15 GMT
What do the Brits think of how Asians eat rice? They literally bring the bowl up to their faces and 'shovel' the food into their mouths with chopsticks. That's the most efficient way of eating, lol. How do you guys eat things like spaghetti? Do you twirl and then turn the fork over and down and then shove it in your mouth? That’s the way they have done it for centuries. I don’t think anyone would be telling them to do it differently.
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used2scrap
Drama Llama
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Jan 29, 2016 3:02:55 GMT
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Post by used2scrap on Dec 10, 2019 23:06:52 GMT
I’ll never forget as a child my German and Norwegian relatives thinking how bizarre it was for us to keep shifting our forks and knives from different hands while cutting and then eating food. But we did send my cousin back to Norway with a massive Mt Dew addiction (she got stopped at security with a suitcase full lol), so there’s that...
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Post by Jockscrap on Dec 11, 2019 0:29:37 GMT
Like most of the UK folk, if I’m using a knife and fork, fork goes in the left hand tines down and knife in the right. I like a bit of everything on the fork so it all gets pushed onto the back of the fork with my knife. Works pretty well. It is acceptable to turn the fork (still held in the left hand) to get the last few peas up, aided by the knife but only at the end of the meal. At least that’s how I was brought up. If it is a meal that doesn’t require cutting eg, chilli, curries, mac cheese, the table is laid with just a fork to the right of the plate, and it’s perfectly acceptable to have the fork tines up. I just use a fork to twiddle spaghetti, held in my right hand.
Interesting to hear some peas saying the fork is held in the dominant hand. It was always considered a big no-no to hold the fork in the right hand, knife in the left, even if left handed - ridiculous really, but left-handers just had to learn how to follow convention, and in my experience it’s really unusual for someone to swap their fork and knife over to the other hands.
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Post by wiipii2 on Dec 11, 2019 0:34:39 GMT
Canadian here - I always have a knife and fork in hand when eating and use the "backside" of the fork. Even when at home alone.
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Deleted
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Jun 2, 2024 13:27:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2019 0:46:21 GMT
Like most of the UK folk, if I’m using a knife and fork, fork goes in the left hand tines down and knife in the right. I like a bit of everything on the fork so it all gets pushed onto the back of the fork with my knife. Works pretty well. It is acceptable to turn the fork (still held in the left hand) to get the last few peas up, aided by the knife but only at the end of the meal. At least that’s how I was brought up. If it is a meal that doesn’t require cutting eg, chilli, curries, mac cheese, the table is laid with just a fork to the right of the plate, and it’s perfectly acceptable to have the fork tines up. I just use a fork to twiddle spaghetti, held in my right hand. Interesting to hear some peas saying the fork is held in the dominant hand. It was always considered a big no-no to hold the fork in the right hand, knife in the left, even if left handed - ridiculous really, but left-handers just had to learn how to follow convention, and in my experience it’s really unusual for someone to swap their fork and knife over to the other hands.My nephew is left handed and he eats the same way as we do fork in the left and knife in the right. He doesn't have a problem either.
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Post by lucyg on Dec 11, 2019 7:06:19 GMT
We do have the fork in our left hand and the knife in our right for cutting. But THEN we put the knife down on the plate (should be straight across the top of the plate, but really, anything goes) and switch the fork to our right hand for eating. I can’t imagine trying to manage eating with the fork in my left hand and upside down.
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