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Dining Pet Peeve.

post #1 of 115
4/14/08 at 5:35am
Thread Starter 
One of my biggest bete noires with people's dining etiquette is when they cut something up, notably meat. The most egregious examples are those who hold the fork in the right hand, and attempt to cut with the left, simian-like in their actions; however, others, while practicing the proper technique of fork in left & knife in right, then like to switch the cutlery around. In fact, that bothers me more than the former example.
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post #2 of 115
4/14/08 at 5:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
One of my biggest bete noires with people's dining etiquette is when they cut something up, notably meat.

The most egregious examples are those who hold the fork in the right hand, and attempt to cut with the left, simian-like in their actions; however, others, while practicing the proper technique of fork in left & knife in right, then like to switch the cutlery around.

In fact, that bothers me more than the former example.

You've never seen anyone hold the fork with their left first (backhanded) and then try to somehow turn their wrist an additional 90 degrees to give the mouth some chance of meeting the fork. Looked like a monkey trying to eat.

Not knowing how to eat peeves me as well. My grandmother, who is from England, holds her fork kind of weird. Maybe I'm holding it wrong. I keep the entire butt end of the fork under my palm, whereas she holds the knife between her thumb and index finger and lets the butt end extend above her carpus.
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post #3 of 115
4/14/08 at 5:49am
I always thought the second thing LK described--holding the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right while cutting, then setting the knife down and switching the fork to the left hand for moving the food into your mouth--was considered the proper American style. Keeping the knife in the right hand the whole time, I was taught, was European. I have no problem with either. What I hate are people who hold their fork like a dagger and use it to stab their food. I know a couple of otherwise attractive women who do this and it seriously turns me off.
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post #4 of 115
4/14/08 at 6:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheIdler View Post
I always thought the second thing LK described--holding the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right while cutting, then setting the knife down and switching the fork to the left hand for moving the food into your mouth--was considered the proper American style. Keeping the knife in the right hand the whole time, I was taught, was European. I have no problem with either.

What I hate are people who hold their fork like a dagger and use it to stab their food. I know a couple of otherwise attractive women who do this and it seriously turns me off.

It is.
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post #5 of 115
4/14/08 at 7:47am
Thread Starter 
I wasn't aware it was an American custom though why it is a custom intrigues me. It seems quite superfluous to switch hands, but I suppose like the non-metric system, Americans just had to have something distinctive from Europe.
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post #6 of 115
4/14/08 at 8:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
...however, others, while practicing the proper technique of fork in left & knife in right, then like to switch the cutlery around.

I understand where your coming from ... much like the people who will listen on their mobile phone normally and then move it in front of their mouths to speak into it like a walkie talkie
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post #7 of 115
4/14/08 at 8:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
One of my biggest bete noires with people's dining etiquette is when they cut something up, notably meat.

The most egregious examples are those who hold the fork in the right hand, and attempt to cut with the left, simian-like in their actions; however, others, while practicing the proper technique of fork in left & knife in right, then like to switch the cutlery around.

In fact, that bothers me more than the former example.

Haha we can never eat together then. I eat with fork in right, knife in left and have done so my whole life.
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post #8 of 115
4/14/08 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
I wasn't aware it was an American custom though why it is a custom intrigues me. It seems quite superfluous to switch hands, but I suppose like the non-metric system, Americans just had to have something distinctive from Europe.

I think it looks awkward, but to each his own. Just seems like axtra effort to me when the European manner is easier and much more graceful

I cant stand watching people do the stabby fork thing

K
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post #9 of 115
4/14/08 at 9:49am
Mine would be diners who are focused on others in the room and not their own food.
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post #10 of 115
4/14/08 at 10:00am
And mine: people who chew with their mouths open. The food may be lipsmacking good, but I don't want to hear about it.
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post #11 of 115
4/14/08 at 10:05am
Cellphones at the table. Is there honestly anything worse?
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post #12 of 115
4/14/08 at 10:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC View Post
Mine would be diners who are focused on others in the room and not their own food.

Nah, to me its a heavily social thing.

I actually dont like people who get so engrossed in their food that they arent paying attention to their dining companions.

This applies whether its all you can eat wing night or a more formal multi-course meal.

K
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post #13 of 115
4/14/08 at 4:21pm
My biggest pet peeve, in an upscale dining environment, will always be douchebag parents that bring their pampered, out of control, Montessori educated, animals with them and let the precious darlings run wild, ruining the experience for everyone else. I guess having my nice meal ruined is a small price to pay for these future leaders not to have their early self-actualization thwarted though.

LK: count me in on thinking left hand, fork to mouth was European vs. switch up hands = American. When in Rome. The obvious, more refined answer, is to mimic the Japanese and have all food appear at the table needing no further cutting, a menial task for the cook to do, freeing the diner to use chopsticks
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post #14 of 115
4/14/08 at 4:28pm
I hate the sight of someone bringing their face to the food rather than the other way around. Head down, mouth 6" above the plate like an animal, makes me lose my appetite.

I've noticed that people from a certain country tend to do this.
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post #15 of 115
4/14/08 at 4:30pm
I belive the euro style of holding the fork/knife is known as "continental". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigzag_method
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