sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,085
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Dec 11, 2019 7:11:42 GMT
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. No, the tines are already facing down, as they have been on the spoon helping you twirl.
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Post by refupea on Dec 11, 2019 14:07:42 GMT
I noticed that and thought it was odd. How can you eat hashbrowns, or anything else like that?
I thought it was funny when she said, "Oh yeah, that's worth getting obese for!"
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Post by peano on Dec 11, 2019 14:40:29 GMT
Obviously, people who eat all or largely vegetarian have little use for knives (although I eat a considerable number of salads, and it is not unusual for me to use a knife to cut lettuce into smaller pieces).
Those of us who eat steak, pork chops and the like need knives, unless we were raised by wolves and eat with our hands. @myshelley has again turned an innocuous point of logic into a harangue that she and others are not so unusual for never needing knives.
I remember the debate about the European vs American way of using utensils in a Miss Manners (the real Miss Manners, not the 2 Peas Miss Manners) etiquette book (which are acerbic, witty, and just plain awesome for us etiquette junkies). Her point was that the American way of eating emerged as more elegant than the European way, because it more closely aligned with the Victorian view that more (and more complicated) was better--in decor and design, and dining. Because the American way involved more steps, it was considered more refined.
I also personally think eating something like peas in the European fashion is kind of insane, inefficient and self-defeating, but luckily, since I despise peas, it's not something I have to clutter up my brain with. I guess the Europeans are just gonna have to do them.
I remember endless hours of schooling at the dinner table when I was growing up involving proper handling of utensils and napkins and hands in lap etc. etc. etc. When I'm out and I see people handling utensils with their hands wrapped around them like a serial killer in a slasher flick, I inwardly recoil in horror. And then I experience a flash of pity and then gratitude that my mother devoted so much time to this.
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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 11, 2019 14:52:49 GMT
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. No, the tines are already facing down, as they have been on the spoon helping you twirl. Okay thanks for explaining. So you are putting the fork, tines down in your mouth with spaghetti wrapped around it. I know it must seem like a silly thing for me to be fixated on but I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Dec 11, 2019 14:58:47 GMT
Diane used to be part of the TRY Channel back in Ireland! I knew that I knew her from somewhere. I only had the epiphany today. If you like Irish people trying stuff, mostly American stuff, just go ahead and follow the TRY Channel. Totes worth it. Not a lot of fork action, however. Sorry.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Dec 11, 2019 15:34:51 GMT
I love these discussions because eating is one of those things that people tend to give very little thought to until they see someone doing it differently. This ihas been one of the more fascinating conversations for me. I remember endless hours of schooling at the dinner table when I was growing up involving proper handling of utensils and napkins and hands in lap etc. etc. etc. When I'm out and I see people handling utensils with their hands wrapped around them like a serial killer in a slasher flick, I inwardly recoil in horror. And then I experience a flash of pity and then gratitude that my mother devoted so much time to this. I am admittedly quite an etiquette junkie. I do love all the little niceties one can engage in. I find it all very appealing.
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Post by katiekaty on Dec 11, 2019 21:14:41 GMT
Apparently, we Americans are uncouth, ill mannered barbarians. I would rather be an uncouth ill mannered barbarian than drop food off the back of my fork or drag my hair into my food as I lean my face closer to my fork to eat it before the food fell off every time I ate like those so called mannered folks eating off the forks and using their knives to guide the food to the mouths. To me, that appears ill mannered and barbarian-like!
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Post by gar on Dec 11, 2019 22:30:14 GMT
Apparently, we Americans are uncouth, ill mannered barbarians. I would rather be an uncouth ill mannered barbarian than drop food off the back of my fork or drag my hair into my food as I lean my face closer to my fork to eat it before the food fell off every time I ate like those so called mannered folks eating off the forks and using their knives to guide the food to the mouths. To me, that appears ill mannered and barbarian-like! Using their knives to guide food into their mouths?...who does that? We don't need to lean in dragging our hair into my food ( ) to eat. Like anything else, when it's the way you've done it since childhood, it's natural and easy.
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Post by refugeepea on Dec 11, 2019 22:52:53 GMT
My fork stays in my left hand and my knife in my right too (I'm not American). I think the only difference is that I don't eat things that can't be stabbed with the back of my fork. That's how this American eats.
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Post by lucyg on Dec 12, 2019 0:23:08 GMT
Apparently, we Americans are uncouth, ill mannered barbarians. I would rather be an uncouth ill mannered barbarian than drop food off the back of my fork or drag my hair into my food as I lean my face closer to my fork to eat it before the food fell off every time I ate like those so called mannered folks eating off the forks and using their knives to guide the food to the mouths. To me, that appears ill mannered and barbarian-like! Really? You’re so offended by European table manners that you had to post this angry rant about it?
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Post by refugeepea on Dec 12, 2019 0:45:29 GMT
For your enjoyment. You don't know me!
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Post by MalleyCat on Dec 12, 2019 0:53:18 GMT
That was kinda painful to watch! Doesn’t seem efficient to me, but I am an American with bad manners, apparently!🤪
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Post by katiekaty on Dec 13, 2019 0:45:23 GMT
I would rather be an uncouth ill mannered barbarian than drop food off the back of my fork or drag my hair into my food as I lean my face closer to my fork to eat it before the food fell off every time I ate like those so called mannered folks eating off the forks and using their knives to guide the food to the mouths. To me, that appears ill mannered and barbarian-like! Really? You’re so offended by European table manners that you had to post this angry rant about it? No, lucyg, I did not post an angry post, just basically stated a personal fact. After watching "Lenny"eat in her food at Denny's and IHOP using her fork tines facing down, dropping food, leaning forward and seeing her hair drag into her food, I thought her manners very "child-like" and rather awkward, even "uncouth". If Americans are judged to be barbarian for eating the way we do, I would rather do so than drop my food or eat in such a manner as to drag my hair into my plate so I can catch the food before it falls off my food. As far as being offended by her table manners, I really am not-I am more offended to find out that are are judged to have such manners regarding with the way we eat in comparison to the way they eat.
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Dec 13, 2019 2:08:10 GMT
She is using the backside to hold down the food while she cuts it. Then she turns it slightly to take it to her mouth, at least she did it in the section I saw, -didn’t watch The Whole thing. That is how I have always seen it done. It looks weird to me if you hold down the food with the front of the fork. In parts of the video, she is trying to scoop hash browns onto the backside of the fork. That is the part I am curious about. It starts at about the 2:50 mark. And then she does the same thing at IHOP and she evens scoops scrambled eggs onto the back of the fork. I can't speak for all of europe or even all of England. but my ex eats like that and so does his whole family and pretty much every British person I know. I think it is almost safe to say Americans are the outliers. We eat differently then the rest of the western world.
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,059
Jul 4, 2014 6:57:02 GMT
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Post by AllieC on Dec 13, 2019 3:21:05 GMT
I would rather be an uncouth ill mannered barbarian than drop food off the back of my fork or drag my hair into my food as I lean my face closer to my fork to eat it before the food fell off every time I ate like those so called mannered folks eating off the forks and using their knives to guide the food to the mouths. To me, that appears ill mannered and barbarian-like! Using their knives to guide food into their mouths?...who does that? We don't need to lean in dragging our hair into my food ( ) to eat. Like anything else, when it's the way you've done it since childhood, it's natural and easy. In agreeance with Gar. We eat like that in Australia too and there is no knife guiding into mouths nor hair dragging into food!
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Post by lucyg on Dec 13, 2019 3:45:53 GMT
Really? You’re so offended by European table manners that you had to post this angry rant about it? No, lucyg, I did not post an angry post, just basically stated a personal fact. After watching "Lenny"eat in her food at Denny's and IHOP using her fork tines facing down, dropping food, leaning forward and seeing her hair drag into her food, I thought her manners very "child-like" and rather awkward, even "uncouth". If Americans are judged to be barbarian for eating the way we do, I would rather do so than drop my food or eat in such a manner as to drag my hair into my plate so I can catch the food before it falls off my food. As far as being offended by her table manners, I really am not-I am more offended to find out that are are judged to have such manners regarding with the way we eat in comparison to the way they eat. This was a fun thread with some good-natured international ribbing until you brought what certainly looks like anger (at that ribbing) to it. God forbid anyone should ever say or imply or be misinterpreted as saying or implying that anything we Americans do is ever anything less than worthy of the world’s admiration. This is an international board. We don’t need to behave like the archetypal Ugly American.
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Post by gar on Dec 13, 2019 7:56:09 GMT
If Americans are judged to be barbarian for eating the way we do, Did someone on this thread use the word Barbarian? I can't be bothered to go back and reread it all. The thing is we aren't constantly trying to stop food falling off our forks or leaning forward trying to catch it or swinging our hair into the food - it might happen occasionally but we're pretty well practised as it's all we've ever known and we're pretty efficient at it. She's just one person and she had something particularly awkward to eat - if you came and watched a restaurant full of diners you'd probably see it differently.
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Post by hop2 on Dec 13, 2019 8:00:32 GMT
How does one eat without a knife? It not only cuts thing but it helps maneuver things into the fork or spoon or around. Not even getting into meat how do you eat salad if you don’t have a knife, lettuce doesn’t just smoosh apart with a fork?
I eat spaghetti with my fork ‘backwards’ because it ‘twirled ‘ but other than that I use it tines up.
The ‘American’ Way to use the fork is not the ‘backwards’ way. Why even design a fork with curved tines if the ‘proper’ way is to use it is times curved down? Makes no sense from an engineering standpoint. If that’s how it was supposed to be used it might as well be straight tines, no curved tines needed. Just angle the handle for ergonomics and stop wasting time manufacturing curved tines. The whole point of making the fork tines curved at all is to facilitate putting food onto it from the flat surface of the plate. Using it the other way makes the design of the fork null, a waste of time when manufacturing it.
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Post by gar on Dec 13, 2019 8:03:06 GMT
The ‘American’ Way to use the fork is not the ‘backwards’ way. Why even design a fork with curved tines if the ‘proper’ way is to use it is times curved down? Makes no sense from an engineering standpoint. . Because we like to make things difficult 😉
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Post by hop2 on Dec 13, 2019 8:22:19 GMT
The ‘American’ Way to use the fork is not the ‘backwards’ way. Why even design a fork with curved tines if the ‘proper’ way is to use it is times curved down? Makes no sense from an engineering standpoint. . Because we like to make things difficult 😉 ah, well, ok then
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Post by hop2 on Dec 13, 2019 8:28:31 GMT
Honestly I don’t watch other people eat, don’t care how they hold their forks etc. just don’t be a slob and don’t chew like a cow or with your mouth open & I’m good.
I’ve traveled to other places & eaten here with people from other places, but I’ve never noticed anyone being as awkward about it as the girl in the video. She isn’t eating like that’s how she’s used to eating. She is definitely having difficulty. It’s definitely awkward for her how she’s trying to eat. Her hair does get into her food, which would bother me if I were across the table from her. Otherwise I wouldn’t notice.
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Post by gillyp on Dec 13, 2019 8:46:14 GMT
Having been brought up to “eat correctly”, if any Pea were to come to my home for a meal or we were to go to a restaurant, as long as you weren’t spraying me with food I doubt I would notice how it got from your plate to your mouth anymore. I’m more interested in everyone enjoying a meal and being relaxed about it; it shouldn’t be an ordeal. Vive la difference.
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Post by gar on Dec 13, 2019 10:28:48 GMT
Honestly I don’t watch other people eat, don’t care how they hold their forks etc. just don’t be a slob and don’t chew like a cow or with your mouth open & I’m good. I’ve traveled to other places & eaten here with people from other places, but I’ve never noticed anyone being as awkward about it as the girl in the video. She isn’t eating like that’s how she’s used to eating. She is definitely having difficulty. It’s definitely awkward for her how she’s trying to eat. Her hair does get into her food, which would bother me if I were across the table from her. Otherwise I wouldn’t notice. That’s what I meant above to katiekaty - don’t take her way of eating as an example for the majority 🙂
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Post by gar on Dec 13, 2019 13:15:04 GMT
This clip is kind of jokey and long winded but he does show briefly how to eat without leaning over or using a knife to guide (still have no idea where that idea came from!!) youtu.be/OM0BVTXPLYM
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Post by pjaye on Dec 13, 2019 22:29:06 GMT
This clip is kind of jokey and long winded but he does show briefly how to eat without leaning over or using a knife to guide (still have no idea where that idea came from!!) youtu.be/OM0BVTXPLYM the middle guy is so funny! I'm glad my advice about mashed potato glue was accurate
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Dec 13, 2019 22:45:46 GMT
Having been brought up to “eat correctly”, if any Pea were to come to my home for a meal or we were to go to a restaurant, as long as you weren’t spraying me with food I doubt I would notice how it got from your plate to your mouth anymore. I’m more interested in everyone enjoying a meal and being relaxed about it; it shouldn’t be an ordeal. Vive la difference. I agree. I was always taught the etiquette was important because it put everyone on a level field and, at the heart of it, was meant to make everyone feel comfortable. It is certainly NOT proper etiquette to point out someone else's failings with manners or social style. I instructed and corrected my children openly in private, but took care to not harangue them about manners or embarrass them in public. Surely we can afford our friends an even better level of kindness?
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Post by gar on Dec 14, 2019 9:04:50 GMT
This clip is kind of jokey and long winded but he does show briefly how to eat without leaning over or using a knife to guide (still have no idea where that idea came from!!) youtu.be/OM0BVTXPLYM the middle guy is so funny! I'm glad my advice about mashed potato glue was accurate It was!
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