Poll: How Do You Hold Your Fork?!

[BarbaricGoose]

No, that is NOT a euphemism. This is a very serious question I have. Every time I see someone in the movies eating, they hold their fork with the prongs facing downward when they bring it to their mouth. They're NEVER holding it facing upward. This is Y-Axcist! It offends me, and it shocks me. This is not a surprise I needed.

Even some of my friends do this. My sneaking suspicion is that they've been indoctrinated, as no normal, unbrainwashed person would hold their fork with the prongs facing downward.... right?

 

[LetalisK]

To be completely honest, I don't know. I've never paid attention to whether the fork is up or down. I'm assuming up because I'm a barbarian that eats with my elbows on the table.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Honestly, I'm just trying to get the food to my mouth. If the easiest way is up, OK. If the easiest way is down, OK.

Though, I'm pretty sure the prongs are facing up most of the time. I don't really know, as I don't pay that much attention.

 

[madwarper]

Ummm... Neither?

You hold the fork in your hand hand under your thumb and between your fore and middle finger (perpendicular to the fist).

Spoiler

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ummm... Neither?

You hold the fork in your hand hand under your thumb and between your fore and middle finger (perpendicular to the fist).

Spoiler

Which would be "up" according to the OP.

 

[stormtrooper9091]

same as in that image. I also read somewhere when you cut, knife in your right hand, fork in your left, if you don't switch the fork back to your right hand, i.e. you cut, then you drop the knife to switch hands, you are a gay. Or the other way around. Iunno

 

[Lufia Erim]

Ummm... Neither?

You hold the fork in your hand hand under your thumb and between your fore and middle finger (perpendicular to the fist).

Spoiler

Thanks for the pick. I know 1 person who eats holding the fork like the guy in the first picture and it annoys the hell out of me.

OT: like the above picture i hold me fork like that ( the always guy). However if i am eating meat, I'll have it facing down , to pick up the meat by stabing it.

 

[davidmc1158_v1legacy]

Bah! Utensils are for cowardly, weak and pathetic civilized creatures! Return to the glories of barbarism and eat with just a knife and your hands! Turn away from the sad use of flatware and revel in your inner barbarian!

Technically, on those rare occasions when I must eat in the company of the weak, I eat with the prongs up.

 

[Lufia Erim]

same as in that image. I also read somewhere when you cut, knife in your right hand, fork in your left, if you don't switch the fork back to your right hand, i.e. you cut, then you drop the knife to switch hands, you are a gay. Or the other way around. Iunno

Why would you do that? That is completely inefficient. Just cut , stab ( with the "teeth" of the fork facing down) put in mouth' repeate.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

People in films are weird though, they do all kinds of crazy shit like fall in love instantly, never go to the toilet and actually like their families.

Spoiler

This, though. This is how you're supposed to use a fork. Like a lady.

 

[Batou667]

same as in that image. I also read somewhere when you cut, knife in your right hand, fork in your left, if you don't switch the fork back to your right hand, i.e. you cut, then you drop the knife to switch hands, you are a gay. Or the other way around. Iunno

I read in a Bill Bryson book that this hand-swapping is the accepted way in America, and he was ecstatically happy when he traveled to the UK and found that everybody here eats holding the fork in the left hand, like him.

Seriously though, having to reset your cutlery with every bite of food? How do Americans get so fat with all that mealtime exercise?

 

[Jadak]

Seriously though, having to reset your cutlery with every bite of food? How do Americans get so fat with all that mealtime exercise?

Don't be silly, you do all the cutting then switch and do the eating. Worst case, do it a couple smaller batches as opposed to every bite.

Still, I don't get the fork in the left hand thing. I mean, I can sort of see it if you are only eating something requiring cutting and then simply stabbing it, but what about everything else on the plate? What if there's no knife involved at all, does the majority right-handed population still do it left handed regardless? Do you change hand preference based on the type of meal?

Fuck all of that, you've got a dominant hand, use it for everything. Switch as needed.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Well since I don't eat like a philistine an American, it's prongs down. Stab the food, cut it, put it to your mouth. Prongs are down. Now if it's something that doesn't require a knife then it depends. Spaghetti bolognese or a salad I'll have the prongs up so I can take advantage of the concave side of the fork.

 

[plekpot]

Seriously though, having to reset your cutlery with every bite of food? How do Americans get so fat with all that mealtime exercise?

Don't be silly, you do all the cutting then switch and do the eating. Worst case, do it a couple smaller batches as opposed to every bite.

Still, I don't get the fork in the left hand thing. I mean, I can sort of see it if you are only eating something requiring cutting and then simply stabbing it, but what about everything else on the plate? What if there's no knife involved at all, does the majority right-handed population still do it left handed regardless? Do you change hand preference based on the type of meal?

Fuck all of that, you've got a dominant hand, use it for everything. Switch as needed.

I've never seen anyone who precuts all their food, seems like a thing only parents do for their young children. I hold my fork in the left hand, prongs up. Only if the food is scoopable and doesn't require cutting, like rice, I hold my fork in the right hand.

 

[visiblenoise]

Face up, because if anything falls or drips from the fork, it won't get onto my forking hand.

 

[Flames66]

I use the fork prongs up in I'm scoopin and prongs down if I'm stabbin.

 

[MrFalconfly]

Seeing as I'm not a US American, I eat with my prongs facing downwards.

Stab the food, cut it, bring it up, eat.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Up I think? (Before you asked, I had noodle for lunch but I may reedit this later after I had dinner).

I know I have it up if I'm using it to scoop up food like a spoon (e.g. mash potatoes) but I know for a fact I have it face down it come to getting solid food (e.g. steak) since I stabe it. Granted I don't know if I simply change the angle of my hand or rotate the folk altogether when I stab it.

 

[Akytalusia]

fork only:
if stab, prongs down. if scoop, prongs up.
makes sense to me.

fork & knife:
right primary hand, fork in left, knife in right, stab with fork, cut with knife, stab with knife, eat with knife.
i guess this isn't a very popular method, but it's how i roll.