A bit off track - but our Cousins have just been here -

[tim]

- what started Americans off trying to cut all their food with a fork?

Surely knives were designed for that??

And to cut it all up into bite size pieces so that it can then be picked up with the fork. There must be an origin for this?

And have you ever seen one try to eat a Baked Potato with a fork? I tried to contain myself!! Such a waste.

[tim]

[calendula]

it is all to do with etiquette and hostility that a knife implies - have a look at this Tim

http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/use.html

but how can etiquette be more important than a baked spud, I ask you  ;D

[star]

It sure is strange I agree Tim, I nearly married an American once. He only used a fork.....but in between mouthfulls the handle of his fork always ended up in his ear.............eeeugh :-X

[gordonsveg]

 :-[ ???  Maybe they can`t master using two implements at the same time.

[tim]

What a fascinating link, Calendula!

[Rob08]

it is all to do with etiquette and hostility that a knife implies - have a look at this Tim

http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/use.html

but how can etiquette be more important than a baked spud, I ask you  ;D

Um, yes...

My mom tried for years to get me to use a knife and fork in the 'European' style - i.e. fork in the left hand.  I just could not manage it.  I keep the fork in my right hand and the knife in my left. 

[calendula]

that's interesting, are you left handed - there are 3 lefties in our family and they all use the knife in their right but am trying to get my son to reverse this as I think he'd do better

[Rob08]

that's interesting, are you left handed - there are 3 lefties in our family and they all use the knife in their right but am trying to get my son to reverse this as I think he'd do better

Actually I am right handed.  This just is so much easier for me.  The rest of my family uses cutlery the 'proper' way but I really can't manage it - can't coordinate the knife well enough to cut and can't keep the fork steady for long enough for the food to reach my mouth.  In its own way trying to use cutlery the 'proper' way is as irritating/unsettling and nails on a chalkboard for me.

[mc55]

I'm the same - I'm right handed, but eat left handed and my mum, who is left handed, eats right handed  ??? 

Restaurant staff get very unsettled when they see the cutlery set out the 'wrong way'  ;D ;D

[Pigletwillie]

Mmmm,  I am a leftie but eat right handed, play hockey and golf right handed, shoot and write left handed.

Confused, tell me about it.

The correct term for a leftie is "sinistral" as in sinister, and as an average we live 8 years less than right handed people, I put that down to scissors as they are all right handed, blast.

[calendula]

left handers are far more likely to be 'ambi' because of the different parts of the brain being used but the fact that being left handed was once outlawed is scary and putting etiquette before anything natural is "bah" >:(

my son is let handed and he bats and bowls right handed  :D

what this means to using chop sticks I can't imagine  ;D

[debster]

my stepdaughter eats with her knife in her left hand and kind of pulls the food apart and often only uses a fork its not attractive but then it is usually paired with her food pieces being so large she shovels a big bit in and cant close her mouth enough to eat it. apparantly they all eat like that at school
:(

[debster]

sorry that should have said knife in her left hand

[Shirley]

I thought it originated with the Indians only have one dagger and this was passed around to cut the meat.

I use an implement which is a knife, fork and  small spoon combined, (made by Viners many years ago and no longer available) and only use my right hand (I am right-handed).

[tim]

1. Yes - so why do they try to cut everything with a fork? Why do I waste my time sharpening our knives!!

2. A 'picnic' utensil??