bailey Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Do you consider it bad etiquette/rude to scrap your fork with your teeth every time you take a bite of food? We have a girl from Germany visiting us who eats this way, and although it drives me crazy, I'm wondering if it's a cultural thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 (edited) My mother is German. Scraping one's fork on one's teeth is not a cultural activity. The way Germans handle their silverware is different than we do -- they use the Continental style. I had to read about the American style to figure out how to do it properly. The zigzagging referred to in the excerpt below drives me nuts. "There are two styles of eating, Continental and American. In the Continental style, which is more practical, the knife (for right handed folks) is kept in the right hand and the fork in the left, with no switching unlike the zigzag practice of the American style where the fork is changed from the left hand to the right after cutting food. The left hand is usually kept off the table and in your lap during American style dining, except when it's being used to hold the fork during the cutting of food. In the Continental style the fork is held in the left hand with the tines down; the back of the fork up and the left index finger is placed on the back of the fork, low, for stability. This works for meat and other foods that can be pierced. For other foods (mashed potatoes, etc.) the fork is held in the same manner and the food is placed on the back of the fork and transferred to your mouth. Both knife and fork are held while you chew although you can rest them on the plate. The Continental, which most people consider old world is actually newer! It was introduced by the British around 1880, but Americans were trying to instill manners on their frontiersmen. The new dining methods were rejected as disruptive in the middle of this teaching process. American society felt it would diminish respect for the strict rules that were being established to remove the barbarian image." http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Lifestyle/proper_table_manners.htm Edited January 10, 2009 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 It's just rude. I also use the continental style (cause Dad was raised in England), but that involves not switching my fork to my right hand when I cut my meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Etiquette is culturally dependent. However, making creepy noises while eating is definitely a breech of etiquette here. (I employ the Continental method for flatware handling simply because it is more efficient. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleni Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Eeek.. I would so be having to not eat near her. My mil does this...and it drives me CRAZY. I cannot deal with eating noises. At all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I am extremely right-handed. If I tried to eat with my fork in my left hand I would probably stab myself in the eye. :D Having said that...I can't stand people who make a lot of noise when they eat...chewing with mouth open, smacking sounds, loud gulping... ewwwww. My FIL picks his teeth with his fingernail at the table. I feel a little faint just thinking about how disgusting that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Is it considered OK in Europe to eat off your knife? We have a French exchange student that does this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Do you consider it bad etiquette/rude to scrap your fork with your teeth every time you take a bite of food? We have a girl from Germany visiting us who eats this way, and although it drives me crazy, I'm wondering if it's a cultural thing. No, it is not a cultural thing. It is a personal habit. Edited to say I use the continental style, well, because I was born and bred in Spain. I have also lived in the UK and made friendships with many people of many different nationalities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Is it considered OK in Europe to eat off your knife? We have a French exchange student that does this. Weeeeeelllll, only if your exchange student is living in the Middle Ages. You know, before forks were invented? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I would not be able to eat with her. I can't stand the sound of normal eating noises, scraping of forks or spoon on teeth or even on dishes drives me up the wall. My kids do this occasionally but I am after them for it, it usually happens as a result of shovelling the food in rather than slowing down and enjoying the meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I try not to let it bother me--I see it as a person's bad habit (and I probably have a couple of those)--but I can't help but cringe when I hear it and think of that person's poor teeth! I believe I do remember reading about it once in an old etiquette book--obviously not a proper thing to do. And for the record, having hosted different friends from Germany on more than one occasion, I can say there was never any teeth-scraping at the table. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I'm not really an ettiquette for the sake of ettiquette person. I couldn't care less where you keep your napkin or which fork you use, but scraping your fork and making noise is annoying, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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