Table Manners

Logically I think table manners are simply a man made set of ridiculous rules, but... I do see a lot of things that make me cringe 'nowadays'.

When I was taught table manners food consisted of discrete individual pieces of food; eggs and bacon meat and two veg. It did not include pasta, spaghetti (except out of small tins with tomato soup, curry and rice and all the one pot dishes we eat nowadays, which really are not neat knife and fork meals as in the past.

A traditional English dish I will eat the traditional English way, but I use the fork in right hand prongs up - or a spoon to eat pasta, curry, couscous. It is horses or courses, so to speak.

I eat my peas with honey, I have done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny, but it keeps them on the knife

No, I don’t care which way up a fork’s used or how a knife is held, though I was brought up to use them “correctly”. I can’t stand adults slurping or eating with their mouths open though.

I can’t see a problem to be honest. My DGS is 8 and I still occasionally give him a spoon to help him with his peas. He loves them (just like me) but they often end up on the floor when he uses a knife and fork alone. Can’t see a problem to be honest . It’s not like it hurts anyone.

My DGS1 is a noisy & messy eater! We have all gently tried to help him overcome it. He is poorly co-ordinated and clumsy and gets visibly upset by not being able to manipulate cutlery easily. poor chap! He is the kindest boy!

If folks are enjoying their food I don’t mind how they use their fork. I do have ‘issues’ with noisy eaters and slurplurs thougu

Is it only the British class system that makes us use cutlery in such an odd way? A fork has a useful curve in the tines useful for holding food but we seem to insist on using it upside down and balancing food on the convex side rather than the more logical concave side. Being raised in a mixed heritage home where, for some, bread, leaves and fingers were more commonly used to transfer food to your mouth I have never been too hung up on how people use cutlery and have got less so the older I get. Having said that at boarding school table manners were obsessive! I was well trained in the English way and was, apparently, invited to tea at the home of a judge, a colleague of my father, to model to his three daughters good manners!

I have spent many a working hour helping small children learn to use cutlery . It can be a tricky business for little tots!

I agree. I am northern irish, living in Canada and married to a Canadian. My parents and my grandparents were so very strict about table manners and i agree, however, my husbands table manners drive me batty. The worst? if he has cereal or soup..he picks up the bowl and drinks the last bit! Now he doesn't do that if we are out for dinner or have company, so he doesn't see it to be a problem at home when we are alone. I hate it. But he is a fantastic husband so i have to choose my battles i guess.

My Mama must be whirling , she taught me how to handle cutlery , but I now am all American , I cut up my food , take my fork in my right hand , reverse it and use it like a spoon ! I find I don't drop food down my front as much ..... sorrreeee

When I was young nobody I knew ever dreamt of draping their cutlery off the plates. Now I see quite a few resting the handles of their knives and forks on the table. This looks so messy and uncouth and also takes up space on the table. I don't know when this crept in or from where, America?

lolly

Another thing I've noticed is chidren and young people stabbing a large item such as a sausage and eating like a looly pop!

I have noticed this for a while now particularly in younger people. It’s one of my pet hates I have to say. I can only guess their parents allowed them to do this and not teaching them the proper way to hold cutlery. Think it looks awful and gives a lazy impression.