At a dinner table Which fork should be used first?

Answer 1

Eating a formal (and casual, too, sometimes) dinner in the US (and other Americas), you cut meats and other foods using the (inverted) fork in the left hand and your knife in the right hand. Then, when not using your knife, lay it on the rim of your plate at the top (until you need it again), switch the fork to the right hand, place the left hand out of view on the lap (napkin), and proceed with taking a bite using the (non-inverted) fork. If you need to push food onto the fork, use right and left hand to tear a small piece of bread, and the left hand to hold the bread while loading the fork. Piercing of food should be done never or as seldom as possible--see reason below. In the West is it poor etiquette to eat while continuously holding fork and knife, or to keep left hand continuously above the table.

In Europe, the fork and knife are held, respectively, in the left and right hand--except when cutting, the opposite of the US. When not using the knife, it can be rested on the plate rim just as described above. Cutting is done with inverted fork (in left hand) to steady the food and knife (in right hand) to cut. (In both Europe and the US, do not "saw" food with the knife but, rather, cut the food using pull strokes of the knife. Vigorous sawing is to be avoided as it runs the risk of a mishap that propels food or dropped utensil onto the table or other diners; or causes damage to a host's/hostess'es fine chinaware.) To take bites, utensils are not switched as in the US, and bites are taken on the inverted fork using the left hand. The inverted fork is loaded using the knife held in the right hand. Again, piercing of food with fork is discouraged--the reason is to prevent the possibility of having to yank the fork out from food held in teeth in order to dislodge fork from the food. There is more latitude on the Continent as to holding utensils in both hands but, as a rule of courtesy, the knife should not be held during more than momentary pauses while eating. (If stopping to converse, put the knife down.)

When finished eating (even with food remaining on the plate) lay the fork and knife crosswise in the middle of the plate. Doing so signals to servers that you have finished eating (that course or the meal) and that the plate can be removed.

It is advisable to practice these steps at home and at sit-down dinners with friends . . . so that proper table etiquette will come naturally when eating out in fine restaurants and in formal and business settings.

Answer 2

The proper way to use a fork is to hold it in the left hand (this makes no difference if you are left or right handed) as if it were an extension of your index finger. The handle will run along your extended index finger and the but of the fork will rest somewhere in the midpoint on the heel of your hand. The tines of the fork should point downward.

It is not proper to use the fork like a shovel. Should you have something soft that you cannot pierce with the tines, such as mashed potatoes, use your knife to spread the food onto the back of the fork.

Answer 3

In your left hand, with your fingers all gently curled around the handle, with your hand positioned towards the end of the handle, and with the tynes (those are the prongs) pointing downwards towards the plate. Once you have cut a slice of meat and transferred it to your mouth with the fork, still using your left hand, you should replace the fork on the plate, tynes still pointing downwards and handle resting at about 7 or 8 o'clock on the plate (not on the table), while you chew your mouthful. (You should put the knife down at the same time, with the blade pointing towards you, and the handle resting at about 4 or 5 o'clock on the plate.)

Answer 4

If your English and like to eat like a caveman then hold your fork downwards to if anything may fall off it will fall off on you or the table. If your American and want to eat correctly hold the fork upwards so the food is supported by the fork and goes in your mouth

Answer 5

I have been told that you should have use the fork with the arch at the top at all times? does etiquette allow you to use the fork as a scoop, like a spoon?

Answer 6

Either your dinner fork or your salad fork, depending on which course is served first.

Usually, the way to tell is to start at the outside of the set and work your way inward.

Answer 7

The acceptable way is to have your fork in your left hand with your pointer finger on top. The acceptable way to hole a knife is hole it in your right hand with your pointer finger on top.