Eating with a knife and fork in the wrong hands

[Getabloominmoveon]

Just sat in a cafe next to a whole family eating with their fork in the right hand and knife in the left. On the other side a young guy was struggling to chop up his food with just a fork. A few weeks ago an adult friend of mine admitted she didn’t know which way to set a table.This is In the UK btw.

When did this start? Have they never eaten with a table set with cutlery? Don’t people teach their kids how to eat properly any more?

At the risk of sounding like Hyacinth Bouquet AIBU to think that this is a basic life skill and people should eat with their cutlery in the right hands (unless left-handed, different cultures, Americans and all the other caveats of course).

Your friend doesn't know how to set a table? In the UK?
And you saw a family of left-handers - eating out in a public place?
It's shocking Hyacinth. Seriously shocking.
Why did you not say something? Stage an intervention? You've frankly been a bit lax here.

At the very least you should create a facebook page to name & shame these individuals. Start with your friend. A few minutes in the spotlight will do her the power of good, & think of how you can educate the masses by pointing out their flaws. Make sure you get some good pictures. If you work hard at it, you could probably build up a nice little band of followers, & you could eventually brand your efforts & sell it on to the daily mail as a little niche business.

Getabloominmoveon ...? Getabloominglife more like.

But I do think it is a basic life skill. Nothing speaks louder than not being able to eat properly, have some basic manners and conduct yourself properly.
That is if you want to get anywhere in life.

I don't particularly care what hand people eat with - we are all so much more genuinely global now that rules are fluid. what's more important to me is whether people are overall polite and considerate. So, while eating with their knife and fork in whatever hadn't they like, are they flinging food around or neatly getting it from the plate to their mouth? Are they sitting more or less upright and facing the table or slouched down slurping the food so that conversation is impossible or their feet are swinging to the side and kicking people walking past? Are their elbows poking into the person next to them?

Because basically, if the way the person eats doesn't directly impact anyone else, then it's all fine as far as I'm concerned.

Could be left handed.

Also, to go a step further, I've come to this conclusion as someone who is relatively short with a disproportionately short body who often finds herself therefore sitting so low that I can barely reach the table. Exacerbated by a mild disability that doesn't impact me on a daily basis, but does make eating when I'm so low very difficult.

I am the same 😂

Not a single one of my clients has ever interrogated me about my cutlery skills.
Funny that.
You'd think it would be right up there as a priority, along with the multi-million pound deals I help them win ...

I eat with a knife and fork in the 'wrong' hands (who decided what is correct?) I suspect from mirroring my parents eating as my sibling does too.

I also know how to set a table, which cutlery should be used and when and how to place cutlery to signify whether I'm taking a break or have finished. I'm also aware how to eat a bread roll with a meal - breaking little bits at a time and buttering them rather than the whole roll (doesn't mean I always do it!) , how to eat soup correctly and also in which direction tines should be whilst eating. It's all antiquated bs tbh and it's says more about you than the people that you perceive to be incorrect.

I long for the day when I have such trivial things to worry about.

I can only use my right hand due to disability. You wouldn't necessarily see that though, just me eating with only a fork and cutting things with it. In extremis I have to jam a fork on my left side, cut with a knife on my right and then put the knife down - or get someone else to cut my food up. The first will leave me in pain, the second is mortifying. I apologise

I swap which hand I have my knife and fork in 😱 I'm also right handed and wear my watch on my right wrist. Shocking, I know.

I can't use a knife and fork correctly as I am disabled. You just sound like a judgemental arse.

As for setting the table I only know because I have eaten out at enough restaurants. Admittedly I wouldn't have a clue about glasses (wine and water)

This puts me in mind of a works Christmas meal I went on about 20 years ago, and a young colleague was sitting next to me - 21 years old. She didn't go 'from the outside in' with her cutlery, and a shirty, 30-something colleague slammed her hand down on the table, and said 'MANNERS YOUNG LADY!' Use your cutlery CORRECTLY.'

The poor young woman was mortified and went flame red. Ruined the whole night for her.

You sound exactly like that 30-something colleague @Getabloominmoveon

The end result is the same, why does it matter how the food gets in the mouth?

I hold my knife and fork in the other (not wrong!) hands. I've survived fine.

People eating loudly or with mouth open, now that I dislike.

cutlery being used I’m not to fussed which hand!

As long as they chew with mouth closed.

Same :)

@HunterHearstHelmsley you are an ANIMAL.
I hope your depraved wristwatch-wearing ways are exposed on OP's new facebook page. You clearly have low moral fibre & need to be shamed back into polite society.

I'd have stabbed them with the wrong fork

My ds eats with his cutlery in the wrong hands despite him being taught the correct way at home. However he does have dyspraxia but also I suspect that he was encouraged to eat with his fork in his right hand by school staff to allow children to eat quicker - no disservice to lunch supervisors just a pragmatic strategy to get through lunch time

But ... but ... CMOT - surely you just eat your meals onnastick? 😂

Thank you for cheering me with your username x

I'd have stabbed them with the wrong fork

😂😂😂
Nice one @Topgub

I eat using the cutlery in the "wrong" hands too...

I HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOW TO LICK THE PLATE!

😋

There are certain things that shouldn't slip, I think - thanking people, being generally courteous to other people (so not chewing with mouth open etc), a semi-decent level of spelling and grammar where possible (for professional reasons/being understood).

But what hands your cutlery's in (or how you hold them) affects absolutely nobody except you and whether it's just personal preference or it's genuinely easier to do it that way for someone, it just... doesn't matter. So caring about it as some marker of propriety is pointless nonsense.

😂