Cutlery

[Hypersmurf]

Oh, and Hypersmurf, you forgot a question:
7) How do you eat spaghetti?

Heh. Badly, I'd imagine.

I was never aware that the zigzag style existed... which I admit doesn't surprise me (I can't fathom a reason for it to exist )

But judging from the number of Americans who replied 'Continental-style', it seems like identifying an imposter by how he holds his fork might have been a bit of dramatic licence...

-Hyp.

 

[reveal]

But judging from the number of Americans who replied 'Continental-style', it seems like identifying an imposter by how he holds his fork might have been a bit of dramatic licence...

-Hyp.

It's probably easier to pick out the people who eat 'Continental-style' because they all look like this:

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The zig-zag style is more common as one climbs the social ladder in America.

In context, it may have actually made sense.

And as you said in your original post, the person was "impersonating an American," so he was a non-American eating in the zig-zag style. If they knew the person was a non-American, using the zig-zag style would have been a bit of an oddity.

 

[Azul]

It is a bit of dramatic licence for the most part. It becomes more credible in highly formal settings where good table manners are expected. Someone eating in perfect Continental style doesn't look like an ill-mannered North American. He's too neat and precise about it.

Unless you are a local who was taught table manners in a relatively recently arrived immigrant household (where Continental style was enforced) you probably picked up American style as the "formal" method of dining. It seems to be the expected form of formal dining on this continenent. Given that we are nations made up of immigrants, I don't think the immigrant household teaching Continental style is particularly rare by any means.

Also, given that society places far less emphasis on formal dining etiquette than it used to (at least in these parts), lots of younger folks won't learn a "proper" style or teach it to their kids. If they don't look too boorish at a family meal, it's good enough.

Of course, you might have completely different habits in an informal setting.

 

[gtJormungand]

1. Are you left- or right-handed?
2. Where are you from?
3. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, cutting a steak?
4. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, eating a steak?
5. Which hand do you hold your fork in while, say, eating a piece of cheesecake?
6. Which hand do you hold your spoon in while, say, eating a bowl of cereal?

Ack, well this lefty needs to post.

1. Left handed
2. USA - Midwest originally
3. knife in left, fork in right with curves on the upside.
4. knife still in left, fork in right to eat
5. left
6. left

I've never noticed anyone doing that zig-zag switching. I would imagine that it would be too inefficient!

 

[Hypersmurf]

And as you said in your original post, the person was "impersonating an American," so he was a non-American eating in the zig-zag style.

No, he was a non-American affecting an American name, accent, etc, claiming to be American. It was eating in the Continental style that 'gave him away', because real Americans don't do that.

... according to the book, at any rate

-Hyp.

 

[diaglo]

The real question is how he held his fork when eating mashed taters.

tines up like a spoon. or tines down and use the knife to mush the taters on the back of the tines.

 

[glass]

I'm not an American. Can I answer anyway?

1. Are you left- or right-handed?

Right.

2. Where are you from?

Coventry, Warwickshire, UK.

3. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, cutting a steak?

Usually knife left, fork right.

4. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, eating a steak?

Usually knife left, fork right.

5. Which hand do you hold your fork in while, say, eating a piece of cheesecake?

Right.

6. Which hand do you hold your spoon in while, say, eating a bowl of cereal?

Right.

Yep, I use the 'European method', except I have a tendancy to swap the hands over (EDIT: Once, not repeatedly). I don't know why.


glass.

 

[Xath]

1. Are you left- or right-handed?
2. Where are you from?
3. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, cutting a steak?
4. Which hand do you hold your knife and fork in while, say, eating a steak?
5. Which hand do you hold your fork in while, say, eating a piece of cheesecake?
6. Which hand do you hold your spoon in while, say, eating a bowl of cereal?

1. Left
2. Baltimore, MD, USA
3. Fork in the Left, Knife in the Right
4. Fork in the Left, Knife in the Right (or on the table)
5. Left
6. Left

I vary between eating prongs up or prongs down. The more formal the setting, the more likely I am to eat prongs down. I was taught to put my knife down on the table or edge of the plate when I wasn't actively cutting/scooping. Though I always thought this was more so that I was forced to take some kind of time interval between bites. I'm a very fast eater.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The real question is how he held his fork when eating mashed taters.

tines up like a spoon. or tines down and use the knife to mush the taters on the back of the tines.

What's taters, precious?

-Hyp.