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AnIntroduction
Therulesthatspecifyhowknife,fork,andspoonmustbeusedhaveevolvedalongwiththeformsoftheutensilsthemselves.Ingeneral,theserulesareexplicitlyintendedtopreventtheutensilsfromappearingthreatening.MargaretVisser,inherbookTheRitualsofDinner,pointsoutthatetiquetteandtheritualitimposeshelpstocontroltheviolenceinherentinthepreparationandservingofmeals.Animalsareslaughteredandconsumed,theguest-hostrelationshipis,initself,acomplicatedinterweavingoftheimpositionofobligationandsuspensionofhostility,andtheordinarytableknifeisrelatedtoactualweaponsofwar.Consequently,flatwareishelddelicately,carefullybalancedontheprescribedfingersandguidedbythefingertips.Toholdanyutensilinafistortomanipulateitinsuchawaythatispointedatanyonewouldhintatpotentialdanger,aswouldevensettingitdowninaninappropriateway.
HoldingaUtensil
Ingeneraluse,bothspoonandforkareheldhorizontallybybalancingthembetweenthefirstknuckleofthemiddlefingerandthetipoftheindexfingerwhilethethumbsteadiesthehandle.Theknifeisusedwiththetipoftheindexfingergentlypressingoutoverthetopofthebladetoguideasyoucut.
TheZigZagMethod
ByAmericancustom,whichwasbroughtaboutpartlybythelateintroductionoftheforkintotheculture,allthreeutensilsareintendedforuseprimarilywiththerighthand,whichisthemorecapablehandformostpeople.Thisleadstosomecomplicatedmaneuveringwhenfoods,suchasmeat,requiretheuseofknifeandforktoobtainabiteofmanageablesize.Whenthisisthecase,theforkisheldinthelefthand,turnedsothatthetinespointdownward,thebettertoholdthemeatinplacewhiletherighthandoperatestheknife.Afterabite-sizedpiecehasbeencut,thedinersetstheknifedownontheplateandtransferstheforktotherighthand,sothatitcanbeusedtocarrythenewlycutmorseltothemouth.EmilyPostcallsthisthe"zig-zag"style.
EuropeanStyle
TheEuropean,or"Continental,"styleofusingknifeandforkissomewhatmoreefficient,anditspracticeisalsocommonintheUnitedStates,whereleft-handedchildrenarenolongerforcedtolearntowieldaforkwiththeirrighthands.Accordingtothismethod,theforkisheldcontinuouslyinthelefthandandusedforeating.Whenfoodmustbecut,theforkisusedexactlyasintheAmericanstyle,exceptthatoncethebitehasbeenseparatedfromthewhole,itisconveyeddirectlytothemouthonthedownward-facingfork.Regardlessofwhichstyleisusedtooperateforkandknife,itisimportantnevertocutmorethanoneortwobitesatonetime.
Peas!
AnothersignificantdifferencebetweentheAmericanandtheContinentalstylesofusingknifeandforkistheAmericaninsistencethateventhemostawkwardandcontraryfoods(peasbeingthetraditionalexample)mustbecapturedbytheunaidedfork.InEuropeitispermittedtousetheknifeorasmallbitofbreadtoeaseastubbornitemontothefork.
Once-UsedPlacement
Therearenumerousrulesandprohibitionsregardingtheproperplacementofeatingutensilsoncetheyhavebeenused.Essentially,usedflatwaremustneverbeallowedtotouchthesurfaceofthetable,whereitmightdirtythecloth.Itisnotpropertoalloweventhecleanhandleofaknifeorforktorestontheclothwhiletheotherendliesontheplate.Attheendofacourse,autensilmustnotbeleftinanydishthatisnotflat--thesoupbowl,forexample,orashrimpcocktaildish,ateacuporaparfaitglass.Alltheseitemsareusuallypresentedwithaplateunderneaththebowlorcup,onwhichtheutensilmustbeplacedafteruse.
PlacementinGeneral
Thepositioningofknifeandforkwhennotinuseactsasasortofsemaphore,allowingthedinertoindicatethedegreetowhichheintendstopauseineating.Flatwareshouldalwaysbeplacedontheplateduringpausesbetweenbites.Ifthisistobeaveryshorttime,thereisnosetpattern.Forlongerwaits,perhapscausedbyadivertingtwistinthetableconversation,thedinerplacestheforkontheleftandknifeontheright,sothattheycrossoverthecenteroftheplate.Thedinerpreparingtopasshisplateforasecondhelpingplacestheforkandknifeparalleltoeachotherattherightsideoftheplate,sothatthereisroomforthefood.Whenthedinerhasfinished,hesignalsthisbysettingtheforkandknifeparalleltoeachother,sotheylieeitherhorizontallyacrossthecenteroftheplateorareonthediagonal,withthehandlespointingtotheright.Thecuttingedgeoftheknifebladeshouldfacetowardthediner(again,avoidingallpossibleaggressiveimplications),andtheforkmaybeplacedwiththetineseitherupordown.