to ask if you put your knife and fork together when you've finished your meal?

[m0therofdragons]

I've always done this and never actually thought of it as a thing until I met dh. He'd just leave his cutlery wherever on the plate. I can't remember but I guess I said something as he's been putting them together for years and I forgot he ever didn't. Recently he's been forgetting which apparently drives me nuts for no logical reason. In my mind it's just standard etiquette. Just wondered how weird I am really.

Yes always. And I always make the dc do it too.

1800 here too. 1700 tsk. You rebels.

Damn it. Yes 1830.

I don't think I've ever seen such unity on mn (except in hating Katie Hopkins)

I agree with Hakluyt about the napkins too.

6.30pm in this house

When I was a kid leaving your cutlery separated on an empty plate was code for "I'm up for seconds if they exist" (and putting them together a sign that, conversely, you were full). My parents looked so distressed when I signalled 'full' at the end of the first helping of turkey, veg etc at Christmas dinner this year that I dutifully separated my cutlery and went for more...

When waitressing - you clear from the left, so you reach for plate,fingers under the plate, thumb over the cutlery (try it - you'll see why they should be at 5.25)

No. It's revoltingly twee, like piping up 'Enjoy!' before the first mouthful.

Honestly, I have good table manners. I went to Oxford and know how to eat a dessert apple with a knife and fork and about not pointing the Brie etc.

"No. It's revoltingly twee, like piping up 'Enjoy!' before the first mouthful"

What, putting your knife and fork together- twee? No it isn't.

And you don't ever eat an apple with a knife and fork.

My silverware lay where they may when I'm done. Most times I just put them randomly on my plate so I don't get food on the table.

H

We all do, I have to avert my eyes if someone doesn't or I start to panic, lol

Hakluyt, I assure you that Oxford high tables when I was there still served eating apples with cutlery as an alternative to pudding. It may well have been intended as an etiquette trap, though, like the All Souls' cherry pie.

god...being so anal about the direction of knives and forks is sooooo contrived!

I do, but I was brought up that it didn't matter! And I was from a 'middle class' family. None of the extended family did either.

I put them together at 6.30.
None of this 5.25 bollocks

I eat an apple with cutlery sometimes - a nice sharp knife, cut the flesh towards the thumb you've braced against the apple, transport morsel to mouth between thumb and knife

I picked up the habit as a teen to avoid angering my orthodontist.

Just realising I do this when I'm eating in a restaurant or in someone else's home. Knife and fork together at 5/6 o'clock. And if I have a napkin, it's folded and placed at the top of the plate.

I'm the only person in my family who does this though, so I have no idea where I picked it up. Perhaps I learnt to do it at primary school, but have forgotten learning to do it...

I was taught that in France it's 3 o'clock when you're done. I find putting them at 6 o'clock awkward, as the handles can protrude and get in the way, but the end of the knife and fork should be in the centre of the plate.

Nowadays we rarely eat at a table as a family and really don't care, but if I was at a posh dinner I would do it.

We do as a family, we place them at 6 o'clock. We now live in America where it's not done at all. Neither, seemingly, is using a knife and fork in the way we do. Most people seem to use just a fork, in the right hand, to scoop food into their mouth. The knife is used to cut up food into forkable pieces. Someone once told me 'You eat pretty'...! Also, waiting staff clear every plate as the diner finishes, rather than waiting for everyone at the table to finish...it irked me at first but actually, I think it's better than looking at someone's left overs.

My husband still marvels at being taught how to eat a Banana with a knife and fork when he was doing his Officer training in the Uk because he'd grown up in country where he'd just pick them off the trees and get stuck in.

Yes of course. Doesn't everybody? How are staff in restaurants supposed to know when to clear your plate otherwise?

I would take a very dim view of anyone who didn't do this. It would suggest they'd been raised by wolves or something.

Yes, always together, although not necessarily at 6:30 (or even 5:25).

I do it automatically at home, as well as out.

It's funny the things we are socialized to do, to the extent that not doing them appears somewhat

Always. I would be very taken aback if i ate with people and they didn't do this - I'd have an attack of the hyacinth buckets. I don't expect people to know to pass the port to the left etc but surely this is basic stuff?