Etiquette lessons?

[BoldHighlander]

Interesting conversation....

Being a lefty, I eat European style - not transferring my knife and fork. Frankly, when I see people do the American style, I find it sort of annoying.

I'm right handed myself, and growing up (primarily) used my fork & knife in the afore mentioned "American style". However, and I don't know when (or why) it happened, I have recently noticed that I tend to more often than not use these same utensils in the so-called "European style".

[Tobus]

In the interest of trying to be 'proper', I've been experimenting with this. As I mentioned earlier, I do sometimes eat with the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right. But I've been trying to use my fork upside-down in the British style. It works fine for spearing pieces of food, but for small, loose pieces of food, I just can't do it.

That is the most ridiculous thing I've tried in a long time. Sorry, fellas. I don't know who came up with that, but I suspect he was a prankster. The curvature of a fork naturally lends itself to putting food on top of it when it can't be speared. Trying to smash food onto the back of it and getting it to my mouth is an exercise in futility. I can't believe people actually eat like that!

[SteveB]

Dinner conversation is based on the group you are dining with.

Many mornings after a fire or medical emergency, the volunteer teams would gather for breakfast at the local IHOP. Shortly after we started we had the section of the restaurant to ourselves. It became such a tradition that the staff reserved an area for us.

Being a right minded person, I tend to eat in the European style. To avoid spillage, I generally hold my tea cup with my left hand. At a recent dinner, all of us at one table were lefties and opposited the utensils accordingly. The waiter, also right minded, had no trouble keeping our service correct.

Where I am employed, all the staff are right minded. The computer mouse, keyboards and equipment is set up accordingly. A right handed guest usually finds it interesting....

Slainte