AIBU - cutlery etiquette

[FantaIsFine]

Hi,

Self-acknowledged total snob so I have MANY things on which people may differ but.

I keep trying to ignore this, but it makes me wince every time I see it. Someone I love dearly and grew up with, licks eating knives mid meal. Is it me? What can I say, if anything?

Thanks

lool at this thread. I can't say I've ever licked a knife or ever noticed anyone else doing it but I am tempted to lick the next knife I use just for the experience.

Ok so just for anyone reading this thinking Fuck, I licked my knife, am I awful?

Yes. Don't do it. Unless you are on your own, put too much butter/jam on your knife doing your toast at breakfast, and you actually like eating butter off a knife...

While we are on the subject no singing, no hats, and no elbows.

Oh and no politics or religion!

Does that cover it?

Yours politely, the Swiss school. Of something or other.

Italian if something was unhygienic then I can see how it could be off putting for others but licking a knife? Nah, I don't see it. People shouldn't need to be worrying about etiquette while they're trying to eat. But I rarely eat in public so no need to worry about my knife-licking ways upsetting anybody!

I hate etiquette it's a form of imposing social control upon others,masquerading as manners
good manners is overlooking minor annoyances or what you consider breach of norms

Missmatched just curious would you really? Not a fancy restaurant, you know, not the Ritz. But a Harvester. You'd do that? On principle of course

if something was unhygienic then I can see how it could be off putting for others but licking a knife? Nah, I don't see it.

It would be off-putting if they cut their tongue and started bleeding!

Gimmee but what you're advocating is minor anarchy. If no one follows the rules, then there aren't any.

Today you lick a knife.
Next week the whole country falls apart.

We're aiming for a nice calm 2017 and talk like this won't help.

It's the thin edge of the wedge I tell you.

fast I don't lick knives on some weird principle I have in my head I have a strange aversion to cutlery not looking clean so I have to take food off the knife. I put it in my mouth more like a spoon rather than licking it though really. I have no idea if that's better or worse! But I also rarely use knives and cut food with the side of my fork so, erm, I don't really know where I'm going with this.

trusty true but it's not happened to me so far. I'll rethink my knife licking when it happens!

MissMatchedSocks "Italian if something was unhygienic then I can see how it could be off putting for others but licking a knife? Nah, I don't see it."

The whole point about people being potentially put off their food by what others do is that they are put off their food. Not that the person doing it feels put off. So you, if you are a knife-licker, cannot really know how a non-knife licker may feel!

"People shouldn't need to be worrying about etiquette while they're trying to eat." That is opposing your view on them, maybe they want to worry about etiquette!

Seriously, if the person you are eating with is not bothered, no worries. My kids do this all the time. I tell them all the time. It drives me mad. People can blame the parents all they like but my kids both had great table manners before they started school!

With knife licking I genuinely worry they would cut their tongue. Then you have blood on a knife and eating dinner and knife licking, whole thing is horrible! To me.

"But I rarely eat in public so no need to worry about my knife-licking ways upsetting anybody!" I don't worry about you sweetie, I was answering about the people in my life who I eat with daily and who drive me mad!!

GimmeeMoore "I hate etiquette it's a form of imposing social control upon others" I am not sure anyone would argue with that.

"...good manners is overlooking minor annoyances or what you consider breach of norms" I would not consider my children's bad eating habits as minor but before they started school they had lovely table manners!

Eating with mouth open, horrible. I'd happy put up with a random person's table manners once in a while but my on-going battle with my kids' table manners is on their behalf as much as it is on my own behalf!

MissMatchedSocks "I have a strange aversion to cutlery not looking clean"

I understand that, I had OCD as a teen. I never got it sorted and it morphed into an eating disorder. True story. Good luck with your knives, your life your knife!

cauli I like you. The thin edge indeed.

Next they'll be declining to thank drivers who wave people through, and that's 2017 to hell in a handcart.

your life your knife

I love this, can I steal it for my gravestone?

with pleasure Missmatchedsocks but don't go planning that too soon, sweetie!

Ps what can be really dangerous is those bloody plastic spoons, you have to be careful with them and also lick envelopes. Paper cuts, darling.....

I've done ok with knives and plastic spoons but envelopes are the devil incarnate and are constantly cutting my tongue. Evil things.

Secret Society of Knife Lickers
"Your Knife, Your Life" - Italiangreyhound S

I've been asked to lick envelopes. Are they trying to kill me by a thousand cuts?

My father takes a spoon to the table to eat the last of his gravy.

I love my father

I love the very tasty gravy my parents make with roast dinners

Him eating it with a spoon makes me heave, I dont know why!

And YANBU about licking knives, but YWBVU to say anything. The ultimate in manners is to never make a table mate feel that they have done anything wrong.

People shouldn't need to be worrying about etiquette while they're trying to eat.

Wtf. Yes, they should!

(But no, you absolutely cannot say anything to them.)

koala unless they are five, and your children

koala but why should people worry about etiquette, barring unhygienic type stuff, while eating? I really don't get it.

And fast I have a five year old, getting her to eat absolutely anything at all other than a yoghurt is what I aim for rather than etiquette

Urgh miss my 6yo only eats chicken nuggets, I despair.

But the reason you must aim for table manners is outlined in a pp post above, where they are so embarrassed to take their friend to dinner anywhere. You can't raise the child that can't be taken out at the age of 25 because they don't know how to behave. That's the role of parents.

Sometimes the way my kids eat makes me feel sick.

I've tried everything I can think of to improve their habits.

Etiquette re eating with fingers is a bit of a minefield.

Corn on the cob, yes, spaghetti, no, chips yes, mash, no, pizza, yes, peas, no, lamb chops, yes, cooked carrots, no, raw carrots, yes, gravy, no......