When did the British start turning their forks upside down, making eating more difficult, and why? Jane Shaw, France
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Readers Answer
Simply put, the British have them the right way. Seraphim
No one said anything but England. Radish
It was not the British who started it, but the French. After seeing pictures of Poseidon with his trident, they thought it would be good to introduce the style of eating “à Poseidon”, which the British “turned upside down”. Worm lover
I have no idea, but that's ridiculous. As a young child, I quickly learned to ignore such nonsense. How can you hold a pea on the other side of an instrument for use as a scoop? Lorlala
I eat my peas with honey;
I've done it my whole life.
It makes the pea flavor fun,
But it keeps them on edge. Granite
I was taught to mash peas with the back of a fork. Mind you my school also forced me to eat with my right hand. Bochi
Forks were originally straight and were used to skewer food. Later, the forks got a curve that made it easier to slide by pressing your index finger. A fork is not used to mix food in your mouth; A spoon is used for it. Not with pastry
This question is fundamentally wrong. Clearly, both tines-up and tines-down are equally wrong. I never touch the cutlery. My attendants only pour morsels of food into my mouth as required. Kebit
Which way is upside down defined? It depends on whether you are spearing or scooping. Hilary A.J
As a baby boomer, I grew up right and never twisted my fork. My mom is an expert at eating peas on the chubby side. However, in the late 60s, influenced by the British government's push for European reconciliation, I went to Germany for a summer at the age of 18. Even if you're a complete pillow, there's something good about having everyone look at you. So I switched – and never looked back. Fortunately, the Queen never invited me to dinner, so I left it at that. And since the B-word, I have little desire to return, so that's okay. Winnall
Forks are the most versatile of cutlery. Introduced late compared to spoon and knife, I suggest we use it from the beginning. You can use it to soak your peas or baked beans. But you can flip it over to catch a piece of meat when you cut with a knife. That is why the ends are curved. Then you can pierce that piece of meat or a solid vegetable like a Brussels sprout or a carrot. And you can twist it to throw in a mouthful of spaghetti or linguine. It all depends on your diet. Chevalion
A fork is a tool – and a very good one at that. As with craft tools, there are so many ways to use a fork that only idiots can tell you how. When I saw this question, I thought it might mean the way you should leave the fork after a meal. To answer that: No craftsman leaves a tool with its sharp parts pointing upwards (forks were once sharp). Also, when fancy cutlery was silver plated, it was thought that if you held the fork upside down, the convex back would wear off or a significant portion of the utensil would be submerged in food for some time to be plated. . Peace of mind
It's funny to see Americans, even though they've reached adulthood, in many cases, some time ago, completely confused when trying to use cutlery. Start with the knife and fork in the right hands, cut several pieces of food; Then put the knife down, switch hands to the fork, turn it through 180 degrees, stab a couple of pieces of food; Then turn around, pick up the knife again and do the whole operation. Luxbee
I will try to answer this as an American. We usually cut foods like meat with a knife. However, if we can cut the food with the side of the fork, that's what we do. We consider it good manners to have one hand on your lap while you eat, so that may be part of it. When it started, I had no clue. We may not worry about how we hold our utensils until we eat with them. Wesoden
If you put one hand on your lap while eating, I get suspicious. Seed solipsist
I remember both grandparents telling us to always have both hands visible throughout the meal, no waving knives around or talking with our mouths full, no elbows on the table. It was the 1950s, mind. MMornex74
Forks were uncommon at the table in England until the 1700s – knives, fingers and wooden spoons were the usual eating utensils. The knife was a personal thing, carried to the table at mealtimes. The story I was told was that the American colonists mostly relied on imported knives, which made them expensive and hard to come by. Families shared the custom of using a knife, cutting as needed before eating with fingers or a wooden spoon. Forks became popular in English-speaking lands on both sides of the Atlantic. The English, like many Europeans, adopted the idea of holding a knife and fork in each hand, but in America it was customary to switch the knife to the fork and back with the same hand. Leading balloon
How to eat with cutlery should be on the list of topics not to discuss, because neither party gets the other's point of view (see health safety and gun control). Sun55
Fork 'Andles. Beard 23
As an experiment, I tried eating with the fork upside down. Food went everywhere but into my mouth and the tins ruined my palms. Edisorbpost
If God had intended us to use the fork upside down, He would have bent the prongs the other way. Brown 365
