To ask if you consider eating with your fork in the 'wrong' hand to be bad manners?

[Whatsername17]

Just that really. My right hand is my dominant hand, although for some tasks (like painting and cleaning) I tend to swap between my right and left hands. I eat with my fork in the right hand and knife in the left. Today someone was complaining that their kids eat the 'wrong way around' and that they were worried and felt it should be corrected. It made me feel a little self conscious tbh. Do people really care about which hand you have your fork in?

[iaintgettingonnoplane]

I eat this way!!! I'm right handed and used to eat "the proper way"

When I was around 9 I noticed my dad ate the other way and I wanted to be like him so I copied him and it's been force of habit ever since

No one has EVER commented on it. Like pp said as long as you have nice table manners I can't see what the problem is

[TeaStory]

No, not at all, and I'm a stickler for manners.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

I don't see why it matters and I can't say I've ever noticed what hand anyone holds their fork with (or whether they hold their knife like a pen, that other much-maligned cutlery issue which remains a total mystery to me.) As long as you don't chew loudly or with your mouth open, help yourself to the best food before offering it to your fellow diners or trough your food down and lick the plate afterwards,

I generally cut my food and then eat it with my fork and I - shock horror - quite like to use my hands to eat, too, especially using bread as a utensil to pick up other things. I've eaten with loads of colleagues and clients and it doesn't seem to have damaged my career and I've never been on a first date which didn't lead to a second, so my dates clearly aren't fussed, either.

[kali110]

Don't think i'd want to work for or be with anyone ( if i weren't with dh) that thought it so important how i hold cutlery
I Write with my left hand, yet hold my fork with it too.
Don't care in the slightest if other people do it wrongly, or if i am, think it says more about the person Complaining

[kali110]

ComtesseDeSpair nope me neither! I'm in my 30's and until mumsnet i never even thought about this clearly never stopped me getting dates either!

[GreatFuckability]

I haven't read any of the replies, but no, it isn't. and anyone who actually cares about such ridiculous shit needs to find some actual problems in their life and/or unclench.

[BikeRunSki]

I also hold my knife and fork the wrong way (also hockey stick, knitting needles and abseil ropes!). Drives my very "naice" mother up the wall. The rest of my table manners are largely OK.

[WinterIsHereJon]

I'm left handed but eat the "correct" way. It's so that your knife is in your dominant hand as cutting is the more difficult/strenuous action, and more people are right-handed than left. I always set the table this way and correct DCs if the swap, so I suppose I do consider it to be good manners.

[Mishegoss]

No it would be like saying someone is rude for writing left handed. I eat the 'wrong' way and got harassed terribly most lunch times by a teacher at junior school until I told my mum about it. She used to tell me I was eating like an animal. I still don't understand it to this day.

[TyneTeas]

This might help

basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2016/9/11/how-to-mind-your-manners.html

[Fluffyears]

I do it the American way and always have. My right hand is my dominant hand do why wouldn't I use it to eat with. If anyone comments I ask why it's wrong and say their way is wrong to me.

[GreatFuckability]

i genuinely don't give a fuck have no idea which hand my children hold their forks in. They have perfect table manners.

and if i was on a date and a bloke judged me for eating the 'wrong' way (i'm not sure if i do or not....i'm left handed to write, but am pretty ambidextrous in most other things) then he'd be told to fuck off and get a life. and i'd not go out with him again.

[jayho]

American way is to cut food and then transfer fork to right hand to eat.

European is to either use knife and fork, fork in left, knife in right.

If you choose to eat with your fork as a European, you cannot use your knife. Once you start using your knife, you have to revert to fork lh, knife rh and use both.

Incidentally , it is rude to cut salad in France, you should fold.

I know all sorts of weird shit about table manners

[e1y1]

It may not be correct etiquette, however, I don't consider it rude.

I don't have a dominant hand, can do everything just as well with either hand, so depending on what I am eating and if I am using a knife for the meal as well, I will sometimes be using the "wrong" hand.

Otoh, as PP have said, the one thing I CANNOT abide, is hearing someone "slopping" because they are chewing with their mouth open. Gives me utter rage.

[jayho]

eek - either bit - or just fork in rh

[Whatsername17]

Does anyone know why 'fork in right hand' is considered 'wrong'? Is it just a cultural/traditional thing?

[Moanranger]

Am from US and left handed, so I eat the American way: cut piece of food with knife in left hand, then switch utensils to pick up food. If eating meat, this results in lots of switching. No one has commented. I never got the hang of using a fork tines down & then piling food on top; I scoop with my fork ( in left hand. ) I probably eat more food as finger food than a very correct Brit, such as pick up a chicken leg to get the last bits off, but wouldn't do this in a formal dinner. Bad manners for me are noisy eating, elbows on table, belching, hogging/not sharing food. Most of the really fussy etiquette developed in 18th cent & should probably be left there!

[Lightbulbon]

If I was eating at a formal meal I wouldn't do that.

[amy85]

I eat with my knife and fork in the wrong hands, I always have...I remember at one of my primary schools the head teacher being prim and proper and strict with rules/how things should be done properly and anytime she would walk round the dinner hall I would have to swap my knife and fork round so she wouldnt tell me off as I was eating the wrong way

[OhTheRoses]

Surely people's tables are set with the knife on the right and the fork on the left and it just happens.

If one has a fork supper: Chilli, pasta, curry, shepherd's pie, etc, you just transfer the fork to your right hand and leave the knife in situ?

[ARichVernacular]

Honestly OP, I could not give one single fuck. Have never understood the aeration over this issue, as long as people aren't acting like twats or throwing food over themselves who cares?

I am right handed but hold the fork in my right hand; I always have, because that is where it feels right. My left hand is quite wobbly, good for heavy work like cutting, not so good for unsupported transportation of food through the air to my mouth. Eating with the fork in my left hand would result in loads more food spillage, mess and swearing, none of which counts as good table manners to me

[CJCreggsGoldfish]

I hold my knife and fork the 'wrong way' round. I never knew it was a thing until Mumsnet...and I'd think less of someone that judged me for doing so. Even though I'm right-handed I do have a lot of left-handed tendencies (I wear my watch on my right wrist for example).

[DotForShort]

No, of course not. Millions of people the world over hold their fork in the right hand. I can't imagine any reasonable person would label this as bad manners. An unreasonable snob might, I suppose. But such attitudes are easily ignored.

[Cellardoor23]

I'm predominately right handed, but for some reason I eat with my fork in my right hand and my knife in my left. It's never crossed my mind to be bad manners. I don't know why I do it, I just always have.

[Bumpk1n]

I'm left handed but use a knife and fork the 'correct' way. I really struggle with using a spoon and fork, I.e. Spaghetti bolognese, because separately I use them both in the left hand and can't use both at the same time.