A silly question about Americans....

[Logan]

This may be a custom that is unique to the southern US, but many people use the bread that is served with the meal to push the food up on the fork (rather than using the knife). Even though I live in the South and have all of my life, I have never taken up that habit! Many people use the bread to "mop" up the gravy or juice that remains on their plate too!

[IRescue452]

At home I use only a fork even when cutting steak unless its real tough. Some people I know use a fork and knife for just about everything but my family exchanges glances at this. I don't know many people who use the knife as a loading utensil, this is amusing to me.
At school I use proper etiquette and never cut things with the side of my fork, I use all proper utensils including desert and dinner forks and spoons. (unless of course I'm eating alone or only with a few friends )
Most often though, in both situations, I am eating with chopsticks which I find easier.
I think that today you just use your dominant hand, right or left, but I always heard that the reason the right hand was used in some cultures is because the left was a wiping utensil of sorts(ewww). I don't think the tradition is well known today.

-Ha! We used to do utensil of the day in high school also!-

[dukedogsmom]

I use bread to mop up the yellow stuff from my eggs. I always get the eggs over medium. It's probably not proper but it sure is good! Carole, that is so interesting that you use the knives that way. Guess we're looked upon as being strange when we visit your country, eh? I had no idea it was so different.

[Twisterdog]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
It is true that we use our utensil differently than Europeans (and I would assume New Zealanders and Australians.) During WWI and WWII...spies working behind enemy lines had to be very careful as this could be a giveaway that they were Americans.

We use the fork with prongs up rather than down and hold it in the right hand (normally) rather than the left. The knife is used for cutting but rarely as an "assist" to loading the fork.

(Don't know how well I am explaining... )

I have never heard the gun story....but being from Al Capone's Chicago it gives me a giggle. I have always heard the reason we use our utensil different started as a part of the revolt against Great Britain. Wanting to do things different to show our independence.

And since, for those of us who are right-handed, having our fork in the right hand makes using a gun difficult....

Also, to cut our meat we switch the fork to the left hand (prongs down) and the knife in the right.

That is VERY interesting. I had NO idea. I guess I just assumed the entire world eats just like we do. Wow.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by Logan
Scott, Helen and I are all left handed, so we hold our fork with our left hand, but all 3 of us, strangely enough, use our right hand to cut with the knife. Maybe that's why we constantly fight our weight because we can cut and eat, constantly, without a break in between! LOL!!!

This brings up a habit I noticed most about Americans that are right handed.
Most will hold their fork in their left hand and cut with the knife in their left hand...and then switch the fork with the piece of meat cut on it into their right hand to bring it to their mouth.
I however would hold the fork in my left hand knife in right and cut...then use my left hand to bring it to my mouth.

I noticed this when I was staying at a ranch with several American guests and we all laughed about it. Some even said that they would cut up all the meat on their plate so that they didn't have to waste time switching the fork from the left hand to the right.

Any other Americans do that??

[k9krazee]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
they would cut up all the meat on their plate so that they didn't have to waste time switching the fork from the left hand to the right.
[/B]

When I do use a knife and cut things up I will cut up the whole thing, it is just easier that way and you can just eat without any delays!

[K9soul]

Very interesting thread . I suppose I use a fork for everything other than things like soup or pudding or ice cream. I will even use a fork for mashed potatoes (though I have not had mashed potatoes in a very long time now), potatoes are thick enough that they don't slide through the prongs. I only use a knife if something needs cutting like meat. I've never used a salad fork for salads and a tea spoon only for stirring tea and all those "proper" utensil usages. I get by with as few utensils as is necessary, partly because when I was growing up we had no dishwasher, so whatever dishes we used I had to hand wash after dinner, and the fewer the better!

[catnapper]

Hmmmm... I use a knife and fork, but cut up everything before I eat it, as opposed to cutting a slice, putting it on my fork, eating that bite, then cutting another. I'm sure it is more elegant to do it the cut-eat-cut way, but I like to get all my cutting out of the way so I can get to eating!

Funny you mentioend this though. Last night's dinner was Macaroni & chesse and hotdogs. Since I don't eat hotdogs, hubby dished out mac-n-cheese for me -- in a BOWL and he gave me a SPOON! I looked at him like he had ten heads... isn't it supposed to be on a plate with a fork?

[sirrahbed]

We always put out a fork and a knife. Spoon only if we are having soup or stew, etc. The knife cuts meat, spreads butter, etc. The typical American way really is not very officiant though: fork in left hand, cut with right hand using a knife...then switch the fork to the right hand to actually eat the piece.

In Germany we adopted the European way which is holding fork in left hand, cutting meat (or whatever) with knife in right hand and then just using the left hand to put food in the mouth - since that fork stabbed it anyway - oh and tongs down instead of up like they would be in the right hand...make sense??

If the food is softer and does not need a knife, then we eat with a fork in the right hand and with tongs up - sometimes using a knife in the left hand to help chase peas and things like that onto the fork

[Edwina's Secretary]

Form matters to me..... I lived alone for 20 years and even if my dinner was burger and fries from MacDonald...I set a place...plate, napkin, fork and knife...and possible a spoon. I still do that regardless. And meat is cut one bite at a time. Parents cut up bite-sized meat for the children.

When my step-sons lived with us they made great fun of me for insisting on a set table. We called it ..."being civilized!"

[buckner]

Originally posted by lizbud
So how do you eat mashed potatoes, peas , carrots, etc.?

My fingers? I'm not a lady-like person. And I typically eat in my room. As a family, we don't seem to ever eat together... so it's "What do you want for dinner and where are you going to eat?" We have several TVs and no one wants to watch the same thing as another person. I eat with my left hand, and use the mouse on the computer with the right hand. It works, and I'm by myself, so who cares? It's easier, and I prefer to use my fingers.

[Oggyflute]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
Form matters to me..... I lived alone for 20 years and even if my dinner was burger and fries from MacDonald...I set a place...plate, napkin, fork and knife...and possible a spoon. I still do that regardless. And meat is cut one bite at a time. Parents cut up bite-sized meat for the children.

When my step-sons lived with us they made great fun of me for insisting on a set table. We called it ..."being civilized!"

Absolutely!

I've had to set a table for eight course's. Each course had it's own cutlery. Special fork and spoon for oysters etc. How many of you would know the correct utensil to use with each dish?

There's a simple system actually, any idea's?

[Logan]

While we are on the subject, how many of you use a butter knife? I have had the hardest time getting my family to understand how a butter knife should be used! The Butter knife, as I understand it, is used to cut the butter, then place it on the side of one's plate. Why is it that so many want to use it to butter the bread directly??? LOL!!!! I'm a stickler for this stuff because of the way my mom handled it with us. My children think I am nuts!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Dear Oggyflute....start with the outside and work your way in...

Dear Logan....thank you. Butter (not sweet Butterboy) is put on the plate with the butter knife....each bite of bread is then buttered from the butter put on your bread plate ...with your OWN knife...not the common butter knife....(Now I understand how Miss Manners gets so exhausted!)

[Logan]

Sara, now I know why we get along so well, even if we are different politically!