Using cutlery the wrong way around

[Chippychop]

I just cannot believe the number of people who out their forkmintheir right hand and knife in left ? It really annoys me.... And I'm left handed too

[FermezLaBouche]

Nope - it's not "being left handed" - I am too. You will get people telling you it doesn't really matter, but IMO it really does!

[Chippychop]

We've just come back from the same place as we holidayed in last year and on each occasion I noticed the extraordinary number who use the wrong way round. Bizarre

[Keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal]

My sister is left handed and uses her cutlery the 'correct' way round. However my brother who is right handed, and my left handed step dad use theirs the 'wrong' way round.

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

I'm right handed and I do this. it drives DH mad. Why does it matter? To me it feels weird guiding food to my mouth with my less co-ordinated left hand.

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

I get more annoyed by people like DH who leave their knife on the table, only picking it up now and then to cut something.

[kickassangel]

Table manners are entirely a social construct. Move to a different area or country and your idea of good manners will be deemed odd, rude or wrong.

So, does it really matter?

[NotMostPeople]

MumnosGold apparently that's the American way, to cut your food up put the knife down and use your fork ( facing up!) to eat. It makes me shudder.

[DiscoDaisy]

All 5 of my DC use their cutlery the "wrong" way round even though only 2 of them are left handed.
I'm not bothered!
They're using cutlery to eat their food. Does it really matter which hand they use to hold their cutlery?
They find it easier to do it the way that they do!

[GnocchiNineDoors]

Dh does this. drives me potty. what makes it worse is the way round he holds his cutlery means he doesnt saw the food with his knife, just sort of uses the cutlery to tear the food into bits to eat.

Makes for not great dining when we have meat on the plate.

[Devora]

I've always done this. Why on earth does it matter?

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

years ago they used to tie a lefties hand behind their back to make them hold a pencil in the 'right' hand. i dont think it matters.

notmost dh isnt english or american so maybe its a 'foreign thing'.

[EmbroideredCloths]

In many eastern cultures it is considered inauspicious and bad mannered to eat with the left hand. Using cutlery the 'wrong' way is a compromise.

[bacon]

My husband does this and drives me around the bend especially when I'm trying to teach my little ones to sit up and hold cutlery correctly. He was never corrected and his mum (too soft) got him used to it.

And this cas' one folk, shoulder on table thing ..arrhhh!!!

Yes, I think it does matter, especially when telling the boys how they should be eating.

[GWenlockMaryLacey]

There is no wrong way round, it is whatever you feel comfortable and most able with. As a PP said, left handers used to have their left hands tied behind their backs, is that ok? No of course not, because we are not that stupid any more. Think on.

[iklboo]

As long as they're using cutlery it doesn't bother me. DH & all his brothers use cutlery the 'other' way round. Nephew, though, will only eat food he can pick up. He's 13. If he's given anything else he moans or leaves it.

[MyDogShitsMoney]

It's one of the last vestiges of the days when being left-handed was considered wrong.

It makes me both angry and sad that people don't realise that.

[iklboo]

And I'd much rather they used the cutlery the other way round than eat with their mouth open & 'smack' their food like youngest BIL .

[Hulababy]

DD uses her cutlery the wrong way round. She's 10y. She's right handed but other than writing with her RH she does most other stuff with her left hand. Tried for ages to get her using them the "correct" way round to no avaial. Did some etiquette research and discovered there was no right/wrong way anyway so left her to it.

[bureni]

Its a snobbery thing, does not matter one tiny bit what hand the knife or fork is in.

[Silibilimili]

I do it the wrong way around. That's because I am Asian. And we use our left hand to hold tissue to wipe bum. Means right hand is the clean hand. Culture thing.

[Silibilimili]

Sorry, did not explain properly. Pressed send too soon.
So right hand is used for eating adn for doing all the other 'good' tasks. So bringing the left up to feed mouth feels yucky.
IYSWIM (probably not)

[MildredIsMyAlterEgo]

What on earth is the big deal?

OP you're left handed....I suggest you try and cure yourself by only using your right hand for writing in future.

If the extraordinary number of people at your oft frequented holiday destination offend you by eating in the manner they deem correct, perhaps try broadening your horizons and go on holiday to different place next year.

[GWenlockMaryLacey]

Um, doesn't the bum cleaning thing also depend on which hand is best? I mean, I know it doesn't as I knew about the left hand thing already but don't you make a neater job of it if you use your good hand?

Sorry