# British General decrees...it's "barbaric" to eat sandwiches with your hands. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264 "2014-03-22T03:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/1 "2014-03-22T03:09:38Z")
Brit Junior Officers take the mickey out of their commanding general, and it’s hilarious. (that’s how you use that expression, right? I think that’s how you use it. What the hell do I know, I eat sandwiches with my hands.) > **[Army commander bans sandwiches in attack on 'barbaric habits'](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10677230/Army-commander-bans-sandwiches-in-attack-on-barbaric-habits.html)** > > An Army commander has banned the "barbaric" practice of officers and soldiers eating with their hands in a three-page attack on appalling standards he has noticed The text of the Junior Officers response here. I highly recommend it…it made me alternately laugh out loud and nod and smile grimly. > **[Gen Cowan's Edict - A Reply](https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/gen-cowans-edict-a-reply.211041/)** > > Army commander bans sandwiches in attack on 'barbaric' habits > > Dear Sir, > > 3001TO39 LETTER OF THANKS - MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES MICHAEL COWAN CBE DSO > > 1. We, the junior officers of your mess, wish to thank you for your earlier 3-page memo. Given the... ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/2 "2014-03-22T03:14:07Z")
I got the impression that he was being funny in that memo and it was not intended seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/3 "2014-03-22T03:18:57Z")
That’s the line he’s currently using, anyway. Perhaps he needs to work on his delivery, the response from the Junior Officers seems to indicate they didn’t find it entirely funny. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/4 "2014-03-22T06:54:36Z")
We should eat sandwiches with a knife and fork now? Did Miss Manners say that? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/5 "2014-03-22T07:06:46Z")
It read to me like an attempt to be funny in an understated British sort of way. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/6 "2014-03-22T07:15:46Z")
Consider that sandwiches were invented as a way to eat with your hands and not get too messy, that’s pretty amusing. ---
**Author:** ![pinkteddyx64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dfb087/32.png) [@pinkteddyx64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkteddyx64)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/7 "2014-03-22T23:00:00Z")
Can I sue the british army as they dont allow eating with hands??? :D:cool::D:rolleyes:🆒:D:smack::D:eek:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/8 "2014-03-23T02:42:30Z")
Yes. Yes you can. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-general-decrees-its-barbaric-to-eat-sandwiches-with-your-hands/684264/9 "2014-03-23T02:49:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Consider that sandwiches were invented as a way to eat with your hands and not get too messy, that’s pretty amusing. [Plus by a Brit and named after the Earl of Sandwich](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich#Etymology): **“It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat. It is said that he ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread, and others began to order ‘the same as Sandwich!’ It is commonly said that Lord Sandwich was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to continue playing cards, particularly cribbage, while eating, without using a fork, and without getting his cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands.”**