Do you use a knife and fork?

[beebee25]

I was in a pub the other day and was queuing at the bar for a drink. There was a group of people eating a roast dinner nearby. One of the diners was just using a fork to eat her food. Scooping it up on her fork and shovelling it in. She seemed to be struggling with her Yorkshire pudding and got her knife out for a bit and chopped it up and then reverted to a fork.. why would somebody eat like this? I appreciate she may have been American but I have noticed recently a few young people eating like this. This makes me irrationally irritated and I have no idea why.

Yes

I started eating more with a fork when I lived in the US. While I probably wouldn’t for a roast dinner because there is a lot of cutting up, for some dishes it’s neater.
Anyone who eats peas with their fork in their left hand with the prongs down is being silly. So much easier and less likely to drop them if you scoop.

My 10 year old was eating a roast potato like an ice cream - stuck a fork in it and was biting at it. I could not bear it!
Realised we need to up our manners at home...

YANBU. Peoples' table manners have become non existent or at best disgusting.

I mean priorities😀

Honestly, I assume anyone who has this level of angst over a fork is a class-sensitive Hyacinth Bucket who misguidedly insists people say "serviette" and "settee".

I use a knife and fork for pizza😅 Mainly because I usually have salad with it. If it’s just the pizza, I use my hand.

Eat with whatever you like in my opinion just don’t talk to me whilst you’ve got food in your mouth or then I will judge you.

Hands is better.

Swing the hand down, the opposite shoulder back. Then as you counter swing the opposite hand comes down to grab food while the other hand crams food in the mouth. Effort wise it's very efficient.

At the end liquids can be slurped up by lowering the head to the table and sucking up like a vacuum cleaner.

I use a spoon and fork for most things. Not steak!

I hate it too and I have a Y7 child who struggles with cutlery, if you saw them eating out you’d judge.

But he has SEN and is hypermobile and the NHS don’t think he needs any help, despite diagnosing his as below the 1st percentile for motor skills.

Loads of people can’t use a knife and fork correctly. Let alone hold them correctly. Influencers are the worst, can’t use cutlery and eat with their mouths open, talking away. It’s disgusting.

Right handed, use my fork in my right hand because it's my dominant hand.
I use a knife but keep it in my left hand, you know, the non-dominant one that doesn't need to be used for every mouthful?

I have two types of plates I use to serve food - one is a large traditional dinner plate and the other is a large pasta bowl type plate. I was surprised to hear from DS last week that he generally finds that the food I serve in the pasta bowl type plate is the food he likes, but that he mostly doesn't lke (as much) the food I serve on the big dinner plate.

That made me think about what I am serving, and when. And I realised that I use the big dinner plates for sort of traditional meat and 3 veg type meals, but a lot of what we eat is a bit more ... slurpy (for what of a better word). eg yesterday we had stir fry and noodles, tonight we're having paella.

And now with this thread, it occurs to me that many of those "slurpy" meals are meals that would routinely be eaten with just one hand - a fork, chopsticks perhaps, or even a spoon. And if other people are eating a lot more food like this too, perhaps the use of a traditional knife and fork for all meals is changing, and that as a result, even when it is a more traditional meat and 3 veg (like a roast dinner) the pattern is already set?

ETA : except steak. Ssteak is served on the big dinner plate and he LOVES steak! Also, fajitas and tacos - but those are eaten by hand anyway!

I just stick my face in it, like a lovely, lovely horse.

I use the bread and fork technique.

I use a knife and fork the conventional (UK) way. To be honest I would find it a bit fiddly eating the American way. Surely your food gets cold by the time you've chopped it all up in small pieces and then juggled your cutlery? And personally I would find the sight of a cooked meal partially cut up, as if for an invalid, overall less appetising. I also find the knife useful for scooping up the required amount of condiments on the side of my plate.

I eat with a knife and fork in public, and although I'm left-handed, I eat in a so called 'normal' - right-handed way.

At home it depends. Sometimes I use both knife and fork, sometimes just fork, sometimes slob out and shovel food, sometimes I eat in bed. My home and my business.

I couldn't care less how others eat. 'American' way or any other way, with a knife or not, don't care where they keep their elbows. The only thing I care about is people eating quietly, mouth closed, no slurping, etc.

Gotta say I prefer chopsticks. If you think about it,

My FIL does this sometimes and it drives my MIL mad. It sets my teeth on edge a bit because it results in so much more cutlery scrapes on plates, which is a horrible sound and can damage the crockery. I think it's becoming more common though, in general table manners seem to be steadily relaxing.

I only ever use a spoon.

I hardly ever use a knife i always grab one and may use occasionally but mainly just use a fork don't know about anyone else as I really don't pay any attention

Depends what in eating. I prefer fingers if I can. For risotto or chilli I use a spoon. For a lot of other things just a fork. I only have a knife for larger bits of meat.

I always use a knife and fork, but seriously, OP, get a grip. The thought of you sitting there noticing this and getting irritated is just ridiculous.

Table manners are important. Manners are important.

My husband only uses a fork and a spoon to eat his main meals with. I find it odd to be honest.