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).

I don't think it matters. I'm left handed and hold my fork in my left hand.

Surely holding your fork in your right hand when you're right handed makes more sense anyway?

I do some things left handed, and have been asked many times in my life if I am, and eating used to be one of them, though I could eat right handed as well. It does mean that I struggle remember which way round is the 'proper way' as both feel right.

My ds has asd. Most nights he can’t even bring himself to sit at the table & will eat in the living room.

he barely uses cutlery either & eats most things with his hands.

do I wish he’d use cutlery more? Yes.

But I also have bigger fish to fry so can’t get too worked up about it. He’s eating something.

I do know how to lay a table. Probably learnt at brownies or Guides. I eat the correct but I am left handed. However if just a knife then left hand. Spoon always in left hand can’t use a spoon a fork together though.

It absolutely does matter. In private I eat from a bowl on my lap using a teaspoon so I don't eat too much and nobody can see me so I don't care but in public I can fit in anywhere because I know how to eat and how to behave. Don't kid yourself that you won't be judged if you don't have basic manners.
I've worked for people who admit they don't give the decent promotions to people who can't fit in with regards to public conduct and manners because they don't want to be embarrassed by them in front of clients.

Why the fuck would you want to be accepted by cunts who judge you for holding your cutlery 'wrong'? No thanks

How many of you are tasked with holding a knife and fork in a job interview? 🤔

people who can't fit in with regards to public conduct and manners

And you include people who hold their knife in their left hand in this group? People are really being denied promotions for being left handed? I've heard it all now.

I love that none of these people claiming that holding a knife and fork the 'wrong' way around is bad manners can actually tell us WHY they think that is.

I still don't understand how eating the 'wrong' way around means that we're all uncouth heathens with no concept of 'basic manners' at all.

There's no correct or incorrect way, there's nothing wrong with left handed people. Me and my partner are both left handed. Get a life.

I eat 'the wrong way' because my mum taught me to use cutlery and she's left handed.
Dc1 is left handed and also eats the wrong way.
Dc2 eats the right way.
Dc3 has autism and copies whoever he is sat with.
All my dc have good table manners so I dont care which way round they eat as long as they eat something, have good manners and are happy who cares which

I'm right handed but use my fork in the right hand and knife in the left hand. My siblings are the same, though my mum is the opposite and uses cutlery the so called "normal way". It doesn't feel right if I swap it about 😁

Are you the dinner lady at our primary school? The harm she’s done trying to make children use cutlery the ‘correct’ way. Drives me up the wall.

That's nothing. I once watched a family of four gather round a bin on the side of a road and eat a chippie takeaway off the top of it.

I got served a Sunday roast on a washing machine too when I dated a boy from another council estate.

The word is "uncouth" and sure, it doesn't matter, but culture matters and if we want social mobility we would do well to teach our children how to act among the hoity toities. I'll stab the F out of my food with a fork but I know how to eat in a way that won't embarrass me when the occasion calls.

I am right handed and eat backwards. Sorry if that doesn't fit your requirements....

I can use cutlery both ways, depends what I'm eating and feels more comfortable.
Right handed, wear a watch on my right.

DP is a lefty and often does things 'right handed'

As long as its comfortable to you, who is it really bothering and how does it impact their life?!

Really though, why does it even matter. There's so much crap raining down on everyone right now, why are you getting your knickers in twist about strangers using their cutlery differently to you.

I'm right handed but use cutlery as though I were left handed, hangover from breaking an arm. My watch is also on my right wrist. Perhaps I should be locked up?

Surely holding your fork in your right hand when you're right handed makes more sense anyway?

No, because you cut your food with your knife and it's easier to do that with the knife in your dominant hand.

If you're eating food that doesn't require cutting then yes, fork in right hand makes sense.

Sounds like you spotted DH's family. They're nearly all southpaws

I don't know if more people are genuinely crack handed or not brought up to manage their cutlery properly or what.

Its the people who use their utensils like shovels irritate the most. I'm considering wearing horse blinkers so I don't see anyone near me (that was a joke btw)

I'm a left-handed American, and I eat with my fork in my left hand and my knife in my right. That's also how I set the table.

Cackhanded....🙄

My DH is right handed but eats with his knife in the left hand, he can also use a screwdriver with both hands.
He can also do that thing where you Pat your head with one hand while rubbing your tummy in a circular movement with the other, try it, it’s very difficult.
I was amazed at the number of children who couldn’t use a knife and fork when at primary school.

I'm a leftie, my partner's a leftie, my son's a leftie...we all eat "correctly" with fork in the left hand, knife in the right, so it's not a 'leftie' thing. My dad is right-handed but has his fork in his right hand...we never really worked out why! But surely, like no elbows on the table, there is a correct etiquette to this, it's just people grow up on families that don't know it, so keep passing it on! No judgement either way, but pretty sure any table etiquette books (however dated some might view them) would always say fork in left, knife in right.